Kwara State Government has expressed its preparedness to rid Ilorin, the capital, of destitute and street begging.
The Commissioner for Social Development, Mrs. Bosede Aremu, said she had met with the representatives of the Hausa community and sought a memorandum of understanding between them and her ministry on ways to curb destitution and street begging in Ilorin.
She said her ministry was committed to ridding major streets in the Ilorin metropolis of beggars, especially at Tanke, Garage Offa, Geri Alimi and Unity Road Roundabout.
It was gathered that the Hausa community’s representatives during the meeting included Surajudeen Hussaini, Rufai Sanni and Mohammed Lawal.
The Nation learnt that they agreed to cooperate with the state government for the evacuation of street beggars.
The commissioner, newly redeployed to the ministry, called for mutual working relationship with the workers.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in his minor exco reshuffle, had moved the former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development to the Ministry of Social Development.
Aremu listed some of her achievements in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which included inauguration of the state committee on sexual and gender-based violence and the empowerment of over 500 women in Kwara in medium and small scale businesses through the provision of working equipment for them.