Abdulgafar Alabelewe, takes a look at the Kaduna government’s ban on street begging, which has pitched the beggars against the affable governor
It was a shocker of sort recently, when news emerged that Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai had banned hawking and street begging in the state till further notice.
The announcement came on the heels of a series of bomb blasts, that climaxed with bombing penultimate Tuesday at Sabon-gari Local Government Area of the state that left 25 people dead and several others injured. The decision according to the special assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, is to enhance security. The statement further said that anyone caught flouting the ban will be arrested, pending when the ban will be relaxed. The statement further urged the citizens to report all suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies.
Naturally, the ban has generated a lot of controversy, with the beggars taking to the streets and threatening to sue the state governor for defamation of character, for labelling them terrorists. Last Sunday at the Kaduna State Council Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the beggars also dared the governor, saying they would remain on the streets, until the government gets them gainful employment.
In a swift reaction, the governor has however insisted that there is no going back on the decision, saying that the government does not see begging as a profession and as such would not permit it. He said “We had to take an unprecedented decision to ban beggars in Kaduna State because of the security threat that some of the beggars and hawkers pose to the rest of the populace.”
He finished off by saying that “Begging is not a profession; begging is humiliation. We don’t believe in it. (And) There is no going back on the ban on street begging.”
As a palliative, the governor has also said that the beggars will be trained in various skills to empower them and make them useful to self and society.
However, old habits die hard and it seems the beggars, especially those who have not known any other occupation, cannot fathom what now seems to them like a bleak future, hence the stalemate persisted.
Many have however argued that the governor, by that singular action, has done the unthinkable, especially as begging seems to have become an integral part of the society. They have taken time to make there cases, most times citing the Islamic tenet that holds the care for the poor sacrosanct. Not to forget, they also cite the pervasive problem of unemployment, rocking the nation.
The religious angle
All the religious doctrines in Nigeria and across the globe, stressed the need for rendering assistance to the less-privileged and disabled, as in most cases, they are not architects of their misfortunes. In most cases they are victims of circumstances, or perhaps destiny.
Giving alms to destitute, from history, is therefore a phenomenon where well-to-do citizens and philanthropists share with the less-privileged and destitute, part of their wealth in the form of cash, food items and clothing.
Even the two major scriptures, the Holy Quran and the Bible teach their faithful to always remember the poor. Zakat, as a pillar of Islam, is phenomenal in this regard, in that it distributes the excess wealth of the rich to the poor and destitute in the society.
The Bible, the holy book of the Christians, is no exception as it reminds adherents of Christianity to give out of their wealth to the poor, because it is believed that, he who gives to the poor gives to God.
Within the human realm, helping the needy or giving of alms, received international attention boosting, when the United Nations passed a charter, calling on government and people to give assistance to refugees and destitute, especially, victims of the World War II, who suffered body and emotional injuries during the war.
In Kaduna State, like every other part of Northern Nigeria, giving alms to the needy has for long become part of the society. The kind gesture has however given birth to a bad phenomenon, begging, which has overtime become an embarrassment to the society. Along the major roads, worship places and of recent, houses of the rich, beggars are seen loitering and waiting for the next benevolent giver.
It is especially a common sight along major roads like Ahmadu Bello Way, Ali Akilu Road, Waff Road and Independence Way in the state. Some of the beggars, especially the blind and the cripple, could be seen, being led around by able young men. Literally, it has become a way of life, a profession or vocation.
The development has therefore become a nuisance to the society.
Previous efforts to rehabilitate spurned
After the unfortunate Sharia crisis that engulfed Kaduna State in the year 2000, the state government made moves to settle the beggars at a permanent site. Whilst the idea was still in the pipeline, a philanthropist established the first beggars’ colony in the heart of Kaduna metropolis.
The colony comprised apartments, conveniences and kitchen. The development moved the state government to key into the arrangement. Soon after that, the colony was engulfed by fire. The wife of the then Governor, now serving Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Hajia Asmau Makarfi, came to the rescue by rehabilitating the burnt structures.
Other philanthropists, such as Senator Sani Saleh, added another structure to the existing ones, in an effort to keep the beggars off the streets. For some time, positive result was achieved, as many beggars moved into the colony. However, things started going downward, as some of the beggars started moving out of the house, and back to their former spots on the streets, citing different excuses for their action. One of such excuses was that the colony was being used as quarantine to keep them away from the society.
The beggars make their cases
Some of the beggars who spoke to Sunday Nation in Kaduna said, by keeping them in the colony, the usual alms they get from the streets have been cut-off, as very few people follow them to their new home to assist them. Others accused the state government of dumping them in the home and turning its back against them.
According to an old beggar who spoke to our correspondent at her usual begging spot, behind the Kano Road Mosque, “We are physically challenged and there is a limit to which we can go to cater for ourselves and our families. The government that brought us to the colony have forsaken us. They only come to the house when they want to score cheap political points.”
The beggar, who identified herself as Maryam, lamented that, “We are left with no option than to come back to the street and seek for a means of livelihood.”
“If you go to Kano Road, the large number of people you see begging there are elderly people and the same thing applies to other spots within the metropolis. So, if the government is really serious, they should provide home for the elderly people as is being done in advanced countries.” She said.
Another beggar, Ibrahim Usman said he, like many other beggars on the streets were pushed into the begging business by the ill treatment meted out to them by the society.
In his words, “I feel bad that I have to beg people to give me peanuts before I can eat, but I have observed that the same society that sees us as nuisance is the same that pushed us into it. Good, we are disables but, our disabilities do not naturally reduce us to common beggars, but when you strive to do something different, the same society discriminates against you.
“I am speaking from experience. Some years back, I tried to make meaning out of my life, but the society pushed me back. I decided to use my wheelchair as an advantage, I went to the market to get goods and I started selling at hold-up like my able colleagues, but with time, I discovered that people don’t even like to patronise me because of the stigma. I was still managing it, until one day when a motorist dressed me down in the public just because I struggled with other people to get his patronage. Since that day, I decided to go back to begging, because the risk is limited compared to struggling to sell amidst able-bodied men.
“This experience is not peculiar to me alone. Some of our people were trained in various vocations, but patronage has been one serious issue they’ve had to contend with. For example, there is a welding workshop in Kinkinau, the workshop is solely manned by disable people, they do beautiful fabrications, but people don’t buy.” He explained.
Speaking on the predicament of the beggars, their leader, Abdullahi Samaila told Sunday Nation that they had to keep begging to keep body and soul together, since previous governments had abandoned them.
According to him, “In this our home for example, we have been facing series of challenges, and government’s assistance comes only once in a while. When we have cases of sick people in Kaduna in the middle of the night or one is of our wives wants to deliver, we always run into confusion, because there is no vehicle to take them to the hospital.
“Aside that, even on the streets where our people beg for alms, there are lot of challenges. So, if there is a reasonable alternative to begging, all of us will quit.” He said.
Meanwhile, the beggars, some of whom have fled the state, have expressed regrets for voting Malam Nasir el-Rufai in the just concluded election, wondering why he has to pay them back with this ban.
Government intention, noble
As a corollary to the beggars’ outcry, Governor El Rufai has appealed to the people to see reason with the ban and cooperate with the government for the safety of citizens of the state…Our government will never unleash pains on beggars and hawkers in the state. The government’s decision was not aimed or targeted at the vulnerable group but to protect citizens.”
“This government is a responsible government and conscious of its constitutional role to protect citizens and ensure law and order for common good. The state government will not fold its arms and allow citizens to be killed via terror acts and break down of law and order, hence the decision.”
He argued that the overriding need to secure the lives and property of the over eight million Kaduna State resident is superior to that of a few who think they have a right to beg.
“As painful as it could be or misrepresented, the decision was taken in the best interest of our citizens and government appreciates support from all sections of the state regarding the reality of our security situation,” the governor said.
The beggars however remained adamant. They issued the governor a three-day ultimatum to rescind its decision or risk been victims of their spell.
AND THE BEGGARS SURRENDER
But barely 48 hours after their protest, the beggars have caved in. They accepted the government’s decision to give up begging, provided it fulfils its promises.
They agreed to sheath their sword following the Governor’s visit to the Kano Road beggars’ colony and Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre on Tuesday.
El-Rufai who addressed a mammoth crowd of the disabled beggars said the government had concluded arrangement to rehabilitate and train them on various skills.
He maintained that, the interest of a group who think they have the right to beg for alms cannot override the security of over eight million people living in the state.
The Governor who earlier visited the state-owned rehabilitation centre in Kakuri area of the state said, the centre which has the capacity to house and train 500 physically challenged, will soon be rehabilitated and used for training of the beggars affected by the recent ban.
He however clarified that no beggar will be repatriated on the ground that they are not indigenes of Kaduna State, adding that anyone resident in Kaduna will be given equal opportunity under his administration.
“There is no going back on the ban on street begging, but we are not going to repatriate anybody. The problem is here and we will solve it here.” He said.
He promised the beggars at the Kano Road Beggars Colony to acquire a land close to the colony to build a training centre for them.
Meanwhile, the head of the beggars, Abdullahi Samaila while responding to the governor commended him for visiting them and promised to cooperate with him.
He said it was not that they derive pleasure in begging for alms, and pledged that they will all get off the streets once the governor fulfils his promises.
With this recent truce and agreement between the Kaduna State government and the beggars, it is left to be seen if Kaduna streets will now be free from the menace of street beggars?
