* Niger gov, Bello

By Pita Chib, Minna

The President National Centre for Quaranic Recitation, Sheikh Hassan Musa, has called on government at all levels to handle the issue of the Almajiris in the country with caution, saying any Government that work against the system will surely fail.

Musa, made this known at the  flag off and hand over by Niger State Government of Almajiri Isolation centre at Tudun Fulani Haji camp, in Minna, the state Capital.

He said,the Almajiris in the country used their votes to vote out former President Goodluck Jonathan from power during the 2015  presidential election due to the utterance of his wife, Dame Patience against them.

" 16 million of Almajiris supported the All Progressives Congress, APC, because, Dame Patience, former president Jonathan's wife made a derogatory statement against them. Though, she does not understand Hausa language, but the way she spoke about them then during the campaign for her husband's second term presidential election, they felt insulted. And, that was the only reason, they voted for President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, (retd) in the presidential election."

He  also expressed dissatisfaction at the way the Almajiris were being handled at the various isolation centres in the 19 northern states, he urged the Niger state government to take good care of the children at the centre and after two weeks ensure that they are transported safely back to their states.

The president of the Quaranic centre stated, " These children from the 25 local governments will be brought to the Isolation centre and will now be in your care. Please, take adequate care of them and after two weeks, take them back to their families. Their mallams have released them to you and we thank the Niger state government for the facility made available for them."

He expressed disappointment at the behaviour of the Almajiris, who instead of acquiring Islamic education, go about begging for alms and foods.

"The Almajiris are now a menace to Northern Nigeria. In the past, the Islamic education was important, but now, rather than learning, they go about begging. It is very wrong."

Earlier, the Secretary to the Niger State Government,(SSG) and Chairman Task Force Covid-19, Ibrahim Matane, stated that the Isolation centre for Almajiris was set up based on the decision of the 19 Northern States Governors to send each of them back to their states of origin.

" We decided not to rush to return the Almajiris to their states as other northern states did. We, first consult with their Mallams before bringing them here. It is a clearly well defined protocol. After government's dialogue with the mallams. So, government provided the centre and put in place everything to take care of them for two weeks."

Matane noted the need not to play politics with the issue saying, "the Almajiri system is a Northern Nigeria phenomenon. The North is being insulted for this. We are not stopping the system of education. They are every where at the Fuel stations, restaurants, Bank ATMs, streets not learning and we are saying, this has to stop."

He further explained that the first set of 31 children  to the centre were from Chanchaga Local Government, while those from the other 24 councils are being awaited.