CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Kenneth Dareng, Nigeria, April 1998
THEME = SOCIAL CONDIT.
Since independence, northern Nigeria has produced most of the
country's rulers
and... most of the beggars found wandering around northern states
such as: Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Maiduguri, etc.
First time visitors to these areas, known as the "Land of Beggars", can't miss the beggars and destitutes who flood the airports, railway stations and lorry parks. Some have even taken over whole streets, whilst others have made their permanent homes in newly-constructed bus shelters. The beggars are either young people chanting Islamic songs, or adults who thrust their dirty plates and bowls at passersby. Most of them are either blind or lame but there are healthy-looking men and women, quite capable of doing something more productive with their lives. Large numbers of beggars from the north are also found in the southern and eastern parts of the country, where they continue to spread to other heavily-populated major cities.
Disturbed by this ugly trend, a national conference on Begging and Destitution was recently organized by the Council of Ulama (Doctors/scholars/religious teachers) of Nigeria in conjunction with other non-governmental organizations. This was an effort to address the embarrassing image problem which is now causing a major public outcry.
Northern Nigeria, which is largely Muslim, has long associations with the "begging trade". Here, the beggars are mostly Quaranic students commonly known as "Almajiris". Others who are not Almajiris are nonetheless, usually Muslims. The conference discussed the "Concept of Begging in Islam" as well as other reasons for begging - poverty, physical and mental handicaps.
Justice Abdulkadir Orire remarked: "We have carried the begging profession to many parts of the world, such as Saudi Arabia, Italy and other West African countries".
But does Islam, the dominant religion in the north, really encourage begging?
Professor Sule Galadanci, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, provided an answer in his keynote address, which focused on what the Islamic religion has to say about begging and destitution. He stressed that in no way does Islam encourage begging. Although both Christians and Muslims offer alms in support of the poor and the needy, most Nigerians feel that gesture should never be mistaken as a way of creating a "profession" of beggars.
Small children between the ages of 5 and 10, who are supposed to be in school, lead "blind" beggars around. At the same time, they are trained to become beggars themselves. In pre-colonial days, beggars received free shelter and food from the local authorities who even tried to provide them with an Islamic Education. This programme was generally successful, as each centre for beggars was run from the proceeds of taxes and alms given by wealthy people.
But with the arrival of the British colonialists, the government abolished the Islamic Education programme, and substituted Western- style education over the whole country. Professor Galadanci remarked: "That kind of education was completely different from the existing system. The contents, the concepts and the aims and objectives were all different. Under the new dispensation, the Quranic school system was discouraged, despised, marginalised and almost completely abandoned".
The British colonial government introduced a new tax system which undermined the Zakat (alms) contributions for the upkeep of the Quranic schools. This led to the emergence of half-baked and semi-illiterate Quranic Malams, (Editor's note: A Malam is a man learned in Quranic studies. In northern Nigeria it is a title and form of address for a learned or educated man) who deceive the public and enslave the children put in their care. He blamed the wealthy people in society for failing to take up the challenge to provide shelter and education for these unfortunate people. He attacked the government for doing little or nothing to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians livig in poverty, therefore causing the emergence of begging and destitution in all parts of the country. Most people blamed the government for leaving all the work to charitable or non-governmental institutions.
In its final communique, the national conference on Begging and Destitution, fully endorsed the call for the establishment of a Council that would permanently and comprehensively deal with the problem. It also added that the country's prevailing socio-economic conditions, contribute to a large extent, to the present amount of begging carried out by poor people. The conference also emphasised that begging should be prohibited, and described it as "mischievous", and called for positive action to be taken to discourage the needy from trooping on to the streets to beg.
Conference duly noted what's happening in the urban areas, especially in southern cities such as Lagos. Here, there's a new class of beggars, who certainly don't fit in with the traditional dirty and disabled beggars found in northern cities. The south is much more sophisticated! Young, fit men and women are becoming beggars. They are well dressed, speak good English, and offer tear- jerking explanations about their misfortunes, to fool the public into giving them money.
The government is very disturbed with this embarrassing situation, and an effort has been made to open rehabilitation centres for beggars and destitutes in several major cities. The reason is, the government is making an effort to launch the country into the league of tourist havens in Africa, with its "Vision - 2010 Programme".
But the beggars are very reluctant to be confined within such centres, as outside, they are engaged in a lucrative trade, earning more than the average graduate working in a government office. Also, they complain that sometimes they receive very rough treatment in the rehabilitation centres.
Some members of the public feel that the government's effort to relocate and rehabilitate these beggars is a waste of time and money, since the beggars frequently return to their old places and their old habits after being sheltered in the centres. Others argue that the government should be providing accommodation for its civil servants, and sufficient money for its citizens who have to sleep under bridges because they can't afford to rent a room. "Leave the beggars alone", people say, "because they don't appreciate what the government is doing for them".
Many people in Nigeria are poor, desperately poor, and the government has to take much of the blame. A political observer says: "Nigeria is being governed by a set of people incapable of handling social problems like the aged, the sick, the young with all their special needs, and the disabled. There is no such thing as health insurance and health security. Social services, specially designed to benefit the poor, must be established".
Until the government does something to improve social welfare, begging will continue and even increase.
END
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1998 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement