Controversial former presidential aspirant Adamu Garba has faulted the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over his call for the arrest of parents who send out their children to the streets to beg for alms as against going to school.

The practice is popular in the north and the kids are known as almajiri.

Adamu said the Emir was wrong with the statement because “no sane society will destroy its culture”.

Sanusi had made the call on Thursday at the Joint National Conference of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Future Assured Initiative on Repositioning the Muslim Family for National Development, at the Banquet Hall of State House, Abuja.

Sanusi said everyday wives were complaining about their husbands who claimed their rights but abandon their responsibilities of marriage.

He also said that women complained being divorced, with their husbands not taking care of the children and those children ending up on the streets, doing drugs, political thuggery and violent extremism.

Sanusi has always being a strong advocate for the education of children and the abolition of child marriage.

His advocacy seems to have been fuelled by the scary figures of out-of-school kids as well as infant and maternal mortality rates in the north.

According to a UNICEF study, about 69 per cent of the country’s out-of-school children are in the northern part of Nigeria. Statistics from the study also showed that about 13 per cent of these children are in the FCT.

“The 10 states where the mass actions are taking place, Bauchi, Niger, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and the FCT, have about eight million children not in school and, an average enrolment rate of only 57 per cent, ” UNICEF said.

These children are always seen roaming the streets in northern states begging for alms.

But Adamu Garba, a man who sought to govern Nigeria but failed in the last presidential election, believes the north should be proud for having children on the streets with a small bowl begging for alms and food to eat

He warned against the destruction of almajiranci.

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Adamu made the claim in a series of tweets via his verified Twitter handle and also shared videos to explain his position in Hausa.

He wrote:

“Almajiranci is our pride and our honor. Yes! we agreed that the program should be reformed but it should not be condemned. No sane society will destroy its culture but seek to reform. All advanced countries value their heritage, why not us? I disagree with Emir of Kano on this.

“In case you don’t know, nearly all businessmen in Kano holding all Kano major markets, traders and hubs are Almajirai. Yes almajiranci should be reformed to conform to new trend but almajiranci should remain as a valued cultural heritage.”

 

See his tweet:

 

In case you don’t know, nearly all businessmen in Kano holding all Kano major markets, traders and hubs are Almajirai.

Yes almajiranci should be reformed to conform to new trend but almajiranci should remain as a valued cultural heritage. pic.twitter.com/ejjw7AR67I

— Adamu Garba II (@adamugarba) February 21, 2020