Niger state government is getting set to ban street begging and operation of almajiri in all parts of the state.
A proposal for the ban was presented before a stakeholder’s interactive meeting held at the government council chambers in Minna yesterday.
The stakeholders include members of the state and national assembly, commissioners, traditional rulers and other political office holders and members of opposition political parties especially the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties.
Briefing the meeting, the state Governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu who presided said a census of almajiri in the state had been taken as well as the number of schools and their Malams.
Aliyu said government had also made arrangements for the integration of the almajiri schools into the western education insisting that street begging will also be banned.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the stakeholders meeting, the Commissioner for Information Professor Mohammed Kuta Yahaya who is also the chairman of the committee set up by government to see to the possibility of banning street begging and almajiri from the state said government will look into how to give support to the Malams and the almajiris.
The Commissioner added that 30% of income from any extra income for the state and its local governments will go to the fund as well as savings from the state investment in the sovereign wealth fund and shiroro dam.
Professor Yahaya Kuta said that no arm of government will withdraw from the fund for the purpose of payment of salaries but for execution of projects that will generate income.
