Friday, May 13, 2011
[size=14pt]Give alms to beggars, go to jail -Lagos[/size]

Sesan Olufowobi


The Lagos State Government on Thursday said giving alms to beggars on roadside is an offence punishable by two years imprisonment without an option of fine.



http://odili.net/news/source/2011/may/13/808.html



It further stated that instead of risking jail term, the citizens of the state could give such alms to churches, mosques, registered orphanages, motherless babies homes or social welfare institutions in the state.

The Special Adviser on Youth, Sports and Social Development to the governor, Dr. Dolapo Badru, said this at a news conference in Alausa, Ikeja on the performance of the ministry in social care.

He said the government was determined to take beggars and the destitute off the street and provide them vocations and shelters.

He said, "Lagos State frowns on giving alms to beggars. It is punishable under the law and you can get up to two years imprisonment for giving money to beggars.

"We have places where such money could be put to good use. The government is committed to best practices in social care."

He said that the government had formulated policies and established institutional care services in order to ensure proper rescue and integration of beggars and the destitute.

He said that 72 complaints on begging and destitution were received and attended to in 2010, adding that government's efforts were aimed at reducing crimes in the state.

"We are concerned about it and other issues of abandoned babies and child abuse and lack of care for people living with disabilities. Hence, we have telephone lines people can call in case they notice some of these things including 08097226696 for beggars and 08096777389 for abandoned babies," Badru said.

3 gbosas!!!

Copied from Enugu State First lady, all the same, this is a good development and should be emulated by more states especially in the North.

Did he create jobs for them?. Why not allow them earn a living?.

Interesting.

I support this move

aloy/emeka:

Did he create jobs for them?. Why not allow them earn a living?.

They can go register with any of the social welfare centres as pointed out in the article you posted. They can "earn" a living there. Or they can go to another state apart from Lagos. Pure and Simple.

Mariory:

They can go register with any of the social welfare centres as pointed out in the article you posted. They can "earn" a living there. Or they can go to another state apart from Lagos. Pure and Simple.

And if they are from Lagos state, they must leave in order to make Fashola happy?. Why not ban armed robbers and deport them to their respective states?. Also, over 80% of alayes beg for alms albeit unkinmdly, why are they not deporting them back to their home states?. Who is more harmful to the society: alaye or disabled aboki begging for alms?. Jeez!!!

oboy!!!!!!!!!! e don faggyyyy

aloy/emeka:

And if they are from Lagos state, they must leave in order to make Fashola happy?. Why not ban armed robbers and deport them to their respective states?. Also, over 80% of alayes beg for alms albeit unkinmdly, why are they not deporting them back to their home states?. Who is more harmful to the society: alaye or disabled aboki begging for alms?. Jeez!!!

I wonder. Would his fellow imams support him with this doctrine?

Which law?

aloy/emeka:

Did he create jobs for them?. Why not allow them earn a living?.

You know they've looked for jobs because you are their guardian or what? , and what kinds of jobs do you suggest the state government make available to handicapped beggars?  


I'm not even sure if you have a functioning brain.

Eko Ile:


You know they've looked for jobs because you are their guardian or what? , and what kinds of jobs do you suggest the state government make available to handicapped beggars?  


I'm not even sure if you have a functioning brain.

Look at this dolt asking me a question. How can a state make such laws against its own underprivileged citizens?. What social structure has been put in place to absorb these beggars?. The only option the government is living them is to rob people because they MUST EAT unless Fashola "deports" the non-indegenous beggars back to their own state, built a Berlin wall around lagos state and allow only non indigenes who have visa to enter Lagos. He will still battle with the indegenous beggars and alayes are one of them. Over 40% of alayes in Lagos are locals ,abi?.

Fashola is slowly turning into Buhari: These are other draconian rules from him:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-666172.0.html

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-666208.0.html

Was he waiting for his reelection before he turns into a Jezebel?

aloy/emeka:

Fashola is slowly turning into Buhari: This is another sledge hammer from him:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-666172.0.html

In that case, sai Fashola

aloy/emeka:

Fashola is slowly turning into Buhari: These are other draconian rules from him:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-666172.0.html

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-666208.0.html

Was he waiting for his reelection before he turns into a Jezebel?

Lagos is not the only state in Nigeria you know, if you are not pleased by it, find another state preferable outside SW. Thanks.

Eko o ni baje.

OAM4J:

Lagos is not the only state in Nigeria you know, if you are not pleased by it, find another state preferable outside SW. Thanks.

Eko o ni baje.

It is very easy for one to support evil and look for ways to justify it. The same thing happened to slaves in America and  many used the bible to justify their torture. Beggars are not one because it is the most lucrative profession and all those who claim that beggars build multiple structures are those who hate to give. Begging will strip one of his/her self esteem, expose them to harsh weather and make them look pathetic mostimes. I am not sure people become beggars by choice except alayes. many beggars in Nigeria are of hausa descent and it is due to their exposure to leprosy and other diseases that either blinds them or renders their limbs useless. Is that how you feel about your fellow disabled citizens yet you complain when oyibo shows a little racism to you?.   There are beggars in the streets of America and they are more in NY even with their better social system. Some of the beggars blatantly ask for alms so they can buy beer and cigarettes yet people who wants to give them money still do.

If a relation of yours is affected by this inhumane treatment, will you open your dark lips to support the government?. What makes a city mega is the availability of responsible people, miscreants, beggars, touts, high powered people, inventors, etc and not just one. NY wouldn;t have been the capital of the world if they exhibit the level of xenophobia seen in the government of Lagos. Please explain to me why a Lagos indigenous beggar should vacate his/her state because the govt he/she voted in asked him to leave his/her motherland?. If a Lagos indigenous beggar is forced to move to Kano and  gets killed there in the hands of rival amajiris, who will be blamed for putting him/her in harms way?

Let us think twice about what we support. I know Fashola has many fans and has done well overtime but this move is an act of cruelty.

aloy/emeka:

Look at this dolt asking me a question. How can a state make such laws against its own underprivileged citizens?. What social structure has been put in place to absorb these beggars?. The only option the government is living them is to rob people because they MUST EAT unless Fashola "deports" the non-indegenous beggars back to their own state, built a Berlin wall around lagos state and allow only non indigenes who have visa to enter Lagos. He will still battle with the indegenous beggars and alayes are one of them. Over 40% of alayes in Lagos are locals ,abi?.

Yours is a sad case of ignorance and idiocy. You run your mouth not out of concern, but to ridicule and trash people needlessly. So, your old favorite Akala is gone and Fashola is next. Unfortunately for you, no state in Nigeria is doing what the Great State Of Lagos is doing to help the unfortunate, not even the federal government, and to answer you ignorant and misguided question. Lagos state government have so many alternatives to begging from rehab and training centers to vocational centers.


I know it's hard for you to do, but you really need to STFU sometimes and sounding like an ignorant .

SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICE

Through the Social Welfare Department of the Ministry, we provided social welfare services to different categories of the less privileged and the needy ranging from juvenile, miscreants, destitute and the aged. This is done through casework and institutional care for the vulnerable members of the society.

A INSTITUTIONAL CARE/REHABILITATION SERVICES

The Ministry maintains 11 Social Welfare Institutions, which feed, cloth and provide medical care, shelter and the necessary training for well over 4,000 inmates.
The Institutions are:-

(i) REMAND HOMES

Remands Homes are transit camp for young juvenile offenders whose cases are pending in court. Also,

the homes accommodate lost but found children pending the time they are either reconciled with their parents or committed to the approved school for necessary corrective training. There are two Remand homes, Boys Remand, Oregun and Girls Remand home, Idi-Araba. Presently, there are 116 delinquents at both homes.

(ii) APPROVED SCHOOLS

These Schools offer corrective training to juveniles and wards in an effort to make them better citizens. The Ministry maintains 3 approved school i.e. Senior Boys Approved School, Isheri, Junior Boys Approved School, Yaba and the Girls’ Approved School, Idi-Araba. Presently, there are 34 Wards at the Boys Approved School, Isheri, 9 Wards at the Girls’ Approved School, Idi-Araba and 22 Wards at the Junior Boys Approved School Yaba.

(iii) THE CHILDREN TRANSIT HOME, IDI-ARABA

This homes caters for abandoned children from 3 Years and above who are picked up from the street or referred to the home from the motherless babies home and other registered orphanages in the State. Presently, there are 37 Children in the home.

(iv) OLD PEOPLES HOME

The home provides care and protection for the aged. Presently, there are 40 residents at the home. It is note worthy to state that His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited the home as part of activities commemorating his 50th Birthday in 2002 and donated a generator to the institution.

(v) REHABILITATION AND TRAINING CENTRE, MAJIDUN

The centre rehabilitates beggars, destitute lunatics and drug addicts. Presently, there are 571 inmates undergoing rehabilitation.

(vi) VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE FOR DISABLED, OWUTU

This centre caters for the needs of people with disability in vocation such as shoe making, tie and dye, carpentry, tailoring and animal husbandry. The centre presently has 30 residents.

(vii) REHABILITATION CENTRE, ISHERI

This centre serves dual purpose of rehabilitating delinquents as well as drug addicts after the detoxification process at the Rehabilitation and Training Centre, Majidun. Presently, there are 67 wards at the centre.

(viii) BEGGARS CAMP, OKO-BABA

The camp caters for over 1,000 destitute.
In the area of family and child welfare, the ministry has been able to reconcile 2,281 estranged families since the assumption of office of the present administration and the positive effect of this on the society cannot be over em[b]

(i) 621 delinquent Children were given corrective training[/b]

phasized. We were also able to foster put 103 children while 1,279 children were adopted within the past 4 Years. The following achievements were also recorded during the period under review:-


(ii) 680 delinquent Children were kept in remand homes while awaiting Court determination of their cases

(iii) 4030 matrimonial dispute paternity denial cases were handled out of which 531 families reconciled

(iv) 1907 Children were supervised
(v) A total of N6,046,710.00 was collected as maintenance allowance for Children from broken homes during the period

(vi) 98 Children were fostered out of parents; and

(vii) 2798 Children were adopted out to adoptive parents.

ASSISTANCE TO OTHER WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

Apart from various institutions under the Ministry, it also gives financial, logistic and services supports to social welfare organizations and individuals with peculiar social problems in the state.

Some of the organization assisted last year with financial grant totaling N645,000 were the Organization of Deaf Businesswomen, Pacelli School for the Blind, Little Saint Orphanage, Wesley School for the Blind and Friends of the Disables among others.

Also, the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN) is presently being assisted with construction of a walkway, generator house, provision of a standby generator as well as fencing of its permanent site at Amuwo Odofin. The contract valued at N9.9m. has been completed and would soon be handled over to SCIAN.

Furthermore, a Mitsubishi L 300 bus was donated to Cheshire Home, Mushin, a home for the care of the Handicapped children as part of the Ministry’s assistance to the less privileged in the society.

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=projectdetail&ptype=Project&poid=151&mnu=module&mnusub=ministry&mpid=39&pocat=ministry&pocatsub=39

This is a brave move from the Governor and I'm in total support of it 100%. People give blinded and ask less questions about the effect on the society. The continuous giving to these beggars increases their numbers and make them less productive to the society.

These beggars see this as a job, they go back to their houses only to make more babies to increase their daily income.

The idea of welfare for them is really great and if they don't accept, they should leave for other states. At least Ogun state is not far off.

aloy/emeka:

It is very easy for one to support evil and look for ways to justify it. The same thing happened to slaves in America and  many used the bible to justify their torture. Beggars are not one because it is the most lucrative profession and all those who claim that beggars build multiple structures are those who hate to give. Begging will strip one of his/her self esteem, expose them to harsh weather and make them look pathetic mostimes. I am not sure people become beggars by choice except alayes. many beggars in Nigeria are of hausa descent and it is due to their exposure to leprosy and other diseases that either blinds them or renders their limbs useless. Is that how you feel about your fellow disabled citizens yet you complain when oyibo shows a little racism to you?.   There are beggars in the streets of America and they are more in NY even with their better social system. Some of the beggars blatantly ask for alms so they can buy beer and cigarettes yet people who wants to give them money still do.

If a relation of yours is affected by this inhumane treatment, will you open your dark lips to support the government?. What makes a city mega is the availability of responsible people, miscreants, beggars, touts, high powered people, inventors, etc and not just one. NY wouldn;t have been the capital of the world if they exhibit the level of xenophobia seen in the government of Lagos. Please explain to me why a Lagos indigenous beggar should vacate his/her state because the govt he/she voted in asked him to leave his/her motherland?. If a Lagos indigenous beggar is forced to move to Kano and  gets killed there in the hands of rival amajiris, who will be blamed for putting him/her in harms way?

Let us think twice about what we support. I know Fashola has many fans and has done well overtime but this move is an act of cruelty.

Spare  me your long sermon, fact remains that street begging is not the best solution to the needs of these less privileged people. We must do things right. No one is saying they should be ignored, there are many social institutions and charitable organisations out there.

I do give to charity and I will prefer for instance to give my money to say Rotary Club, that would build a home and employed carers for these leprous beggars than encourage them to remain begging on the street. It is not only an eyesore seeing them on the street, it is unhealthy and unsafe for them and the community.

Lets learn to do things right.

Nice it should go both ways not only the beggars are to blame but those who give alms without questioning. Most of this beggars would rather be on the streets harrasing others rather than be productive.
I  have seen a case where a woman was begging on the road side with a set of twins that will be less than three months old what kind of future are we setting for those babies how about the security issues. Some parents would rather have their kids on the streets than in school even when the schools are free.

OAM4J:

Spare  me your long sermon, fact remains that street begging is not the best solution to the needs of these less privileged people. We must do things right. No one is saying they should be ignored, there are many social institutions and charitable organisations out there.

I do give to charity and I will prefer for instance to give my money to say Rotary Club, that would build a home and employed carers for these leprous beggars than encourage them to remain begging on the street. It is not only an eyesore seeing them on the street, it is unhealthy and unsafe for them and the community.

Lets learn to do things right.

Really? Why are they not chasing alayes then? Because they help them rig elections,ba?.
And goodluck on your donation to Rotary club because less than 50% of your contribution goes into charity. Try red cross next time please.

aloy/emeka:

Really? Why are they not chasing alayes then? Because they help them rig elections,ba?.
And goodluck on your donation to Rotary club because less than 50% of your contribution goes into charity. Try red cross next time please.

Do you know what Fashola has done for many of the so called alayes/area boys? so many of them were taken off the street, rehabilitated and employed by Lagos state.

And thanks for your recommendation. I do support red cross too but i also know how Rotary club works, your less than 50% claim is not true, might be true for other charitable orgs though.

Until they cleanse the place of alaye's and area boys, this is just cosmetic.

Johndoe100:

Until they cleanse the place of alaye's and area boys, this is just cosmetic.

Do you really have to change ID to post the same nonsense?

OAM4J:

Do you know what Fashola has done for many of the so called alayes/area boys? so many of them were taken off the street, rehabilitated and employed by Lagos state.

And thanks for your recommendation. I do support red cross too but i also know how Rotary club works, your less than 50% claim is not true, might be true for other charitable orgs though.

Pffffsttttttt, black Africans can be very ignorant and at the same time adamant. Good luck sha with your philanthropy.I'd rather donate to my local RCCG chapter because the money will surely get to the less privileged in Nigeria and not rotary club abeg.

back to the topic, how many alayes did he pull off the street and how many are still roaming about?. Fashola should ignore chasing these people around and focus on security and economy. These things have ways of balancing each other in an organized society. No matter what the situation is : I'd never support chasing any human being away from his motherland. If the person wants to be dissident, let him/her declare it and not by forcibly removing the person. How will you feel if the US invades Nigeria, accuse us of terrorism due to Boko haram and kidnap thousands including you and when confronted with the issue, they claim that their move is justified because Nigerians are Boko Haramites. You cannot remove someone from his or her homeland.

This is good to hear. At last, DEVELOPMENT in naija. There are certain roads you don't even wanna pass because you just know you will be harrassed.
I like now that they are establishing some sort of system where everyone needy is assessed and those that really need the help are given it. Not the ones that tell you all sorts of sob stories and then go and use the money for snuff/beer/yahoozie and some even jazz to [b]try [/b]and curse you.

Come see [b]mallamcorp [/b]for naija where they make more than what several hard working folk make in a month by begging.

2buff:

Come see [b]mallamcorp [/b]for naija where they make more than what several hard working folk make in a month by begging.

Are you their accountant or banker?. FYI: Begging is not limited to Hausa-Fulani.

^^ yes, Well there are certainly organizations like that in every developing country. (watch slum dog millionaire as an example. That part of the story wasn't fiction).

this lagos own don de too much o. masqurade must not dance, beggers must not beg. na wetin. e be like se i go return to my state sef.

aloy emeka

thank you

This is absolute nonsense. You cannot force people to not show compassion and help who they want and how they want. The law wont last anyway.

Tcrack:

this lagos own don de too much o. masqurade must not dance, beggers must not beg. na wetin. e be like se i go return to my state sef.

Do you need transportation fare?