Godwin Isenyo

The Arewa Consultative Forum has backed the Federal Government’s moves to ban the Almajiri system in the North.

The spokesman for the ACF, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Biu, in a statement on Saturday, said the group would support efforts to boost western education in the region.

However, the forum said not all children begging on the streets in the North were almajiris.

Ibrahim-Biu said, “The children we see begging on the streets are in the real sense not almajiris, but children abandoned by their parents. That is why the ACF agrees with President Buhari that it is indeed a crime for parents to keep their children out of school in this 21st century under any guise.

According to him, the President’s appeal to state governments to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of school age is in order.

He said, “The forum wishes to associate itself with President Buhari’s concern for the nation to overhaul the almajiri system for school that will provide free and compulsory education across the country.

“Indeed, the forum has over the years advocated the improvement of the almajiri system of learning amid the western educational system for performance. In fact, most Nigerians are confusing the real almajiri system of learning with the children that are out of schools, roaming the streets and begging in the name of almajiri.”

https://punchng.com/acf-backs-fg-on-almajiri/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

When Almajiris that have not eaten decent rice and stew since January hear of the ban on their hustle!