Tackling the Almajiri Challenge and Parents should be advised to have children they can take care off

By Yahuza Yahaya Doka

The Bauchi State Tsagaya and Almajiri Schools Foundation in collaboration with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Bala Muhammad on Religious Affairs has embarked on a sensitization tour on the need for Tsangaya school teachers to prevent their pupils from roaming the streets.

The chairman of the association Alarama Zakariyau Dauduwo who made the call when they visited Darazo and other local governments said preventing thier pupils from roaming the streets would prevent them from engaging in unwanted acts and make them consentrate more on their studies .

Alarama Zakariyau Dauduwo who was represented by his deputy Malam Bala Ahmad Limanci said if the pupils are left unattended to the aim of their seeking for knowledge will be defeated hence the need for them to take precautionary measures on them.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Bala Muhammad Alarama Aminu Zirami said they were at the local governments to sensitize Tsangaya school teachers on the need to allow their pupils concentrate more on their studies and give them proper care.

Alarama Aminu Zirami explained that they were at the local governments to sensitize Tsangaya school teachers on the obligations upon them.

The SSA who congratulate the newly elected chairmen of local governments and urged them to support ulama’s most especially appointing them a particular position.

In their Responding the District Head of Darazo Alhaji Ibrahim Babayo and Gamawa Alha Abdulkadir Dahuwa applauded their initiative saying that it would go a long way In sanitizing the system and prayed all Tsangaya schools will scrutinize its pupils.

Originally, male pupils of school age who left home in search of Qur’anic education, they were placed in care of teachers who would prepare them for learning the basics of their religion. But the teachers, in most cases, were unable to meet all the needs of their pupils who were then obliged to beg in the neighbourhood. Over time, the practice broke down irretrievably, and the pupils were abandoned to their fate.

Without homes or any discernible means of survival except begging, these children are confined to the street which exposes them to all forms of abuse. They are easily lured into all manner of crimes and have indeed constituted themselves as breeding grounds for violent conflicts. Aged between four and 18, they constitute the largest number of the country’s out-of–school children.

They revealed that more than 40 million Almajiris were not captured in the government’s database and they constitute part of the neglected and forgotten children in the country. Many politicians and others use them as cannon fodder to advance their interests.

Places so far visited are Ganjuwa, Darazo ,Misau ,Dambam, Zaki, Jamaare, Itas Gàdau, Shira, Giade, and Katàgum local governments.

Responding on behalf of the elected chairmen, the chairman of Dambam local government, Honorable Yakubu Garba Tela pledged to live up to expectations and to emulate Governor Bala in the implementation of people’s oriented policies and programmes and promised to justify the confidence reposed on them by the party and the electorates.

Some of the Executives of the Association who attended the visit include assistant Sectretary Malam Isah Muhammad Tahir, State PRO Alaramma Sha’aya’u Abubakar Gwanki and Bauchi local government Chairman Alaramma Musa Muhammad Khamis.