In Borno state, the state government is doing everything possible to sanitise the streets of Maiduguri from the nuances of street beggars who are displaced by insurgency. SADIQ ABUBAKAR reports.
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum is not left behind in both federal and state government’s efforts to rid the state of street beggars and almajiris whose number has continued to be on the increase following the 13 years of insurgency.
This portends serious concern to the citizens of the state as the situation affects socio economic activities especially in the local government areas.
The governor therefore constituted committees on Tsangya Schools Reform headed by a renowned Cleric, Sheikh Aliyu Ahmad Abulfatahi for the integration of Tsangaya Schools into western schools in order to acquire western education which the sect erroneously denounced as Haram, provides monthly allowances for the tutors, rebuild and construct the entire schools.
Tasking the committees
Others include School Enrollment Committee headed by Professor Hauwa Biu for out-of-school children particularly those of IDPs affected by insurgency in order to return to the newly constructed mega schools. These are complemented with incentives to encourage parents to send their children to school. There is also the School Feeding Committee headed by the state commissioner for education, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, to provide and monitor schools standard and balance diet meals to pupils at primary schools in line with the federal government directive.
Based on the need for the provision of basic infrastructures, especially, education, health and safety of the children, the state House of Assembly is mandated to make laws for the welfare and education of the children. Local government councils as the closest seat of administration is also to cater for the people’s needs in order to end this social menace.
Stakeholders are also to ensure that government provides basic infrastructures for the people, particularly, children who are future leaders in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
The moves by the state governor to address the situation has led his administration into delivering 556 projects in three years as he initiated and constituted Tsangaya Reform Committee to study the situation and submit a comprehensive report that would remove the children from the streets, provide school and hospitals for them through reintegration programmes.
The governor with the support of the state educational stakeholders, national and state assembly members, traditional rulers, party leaders, heads of security agencies and top government officials organised an all-inclusive event at the Government House in Maiduguri to contribute ideas, opinions and suggestions for a way towards getting the children out of the streets.
Zulum administration’s three years has so far concentrated on recruitment of qualified teachers and medical workers to boost education and health sectors. This is in addition to furniture and equipment that would be provided to these sectors.
Jobs creation and empowerment of youths and women, especially the physically- challenged and vulnerable in the state as well as the almajiris have started as many have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into the Tsangaya System of education to rid the streets of loitering while vocational training centres have been equipped and commenced training of unemployed youths. Report has it that additional centres would be constructed acoss the state.
These measures obviously have tremendously resulted in high rate of school enrollment in nursery, primary and secondary schools across the state with the constitution of separate committees on school enrolment, construction and renovation as well as in schools feeding and monitoring including recruitment of teachers and medical doctors apart from nurses and midwives to man the affairs of the schools and hospitals across the state.
Furnitures, equipments, laboratories, school buses, ambulances, solar energy electricity and other instructional materials were provided to educational and health facilities across the state to ensure standard. These were purchased and distributed to schools and hospitals including school bags and uniforms to encourage parents send their children to schools and to motivate the pupils and students to attend schools as well.
Zulum further settled NECO and WAEC examinations payments to further encourage attending school by the street beggars and almajiris as well as children of the IDPs thereby resulting in large school enrolment, quality and standard education with proven high and good NECO and WAEC results, renewed and increased scholarships for students of tertiary institutions both home and abroad.
It will be recalled that Zulum in his remarks at his two year-Democracy Day anniversary luncheon at the Government House Maiduguri disclosed his government plan.
He also said arrangements were being concluded for the establishment of a Borno State Independent Corruption Practices Commission (ICPC) for the state and LGCs workers including public office holders with a view to monitore and investigate any corrupt practice and being to book anybody found wanting in siphoning, diverting and mismanaging pubic money whether at the state or local government council levels.
Other projects delivered
This informed how the 70% of the 556 project were fully completed with many being put into use, while 30% were at various levels of completion. Some of the 556 projects including policies and programmes were capital intensive where 194 were delivered on education. They include rehabilitation, completion and fresh construction of mega-size government technical colleges and primary schools in different communities.
It was also noted that 63 capital projects were delivered on governance and another 63 capital projects on roads, transport, rural and urban development while 59 capital projects were delivered on water and environment towards sanitising the environment across the state including addressing street beggars and almajiris menace.
Touching lives generally
Investigation further revealed that Zulum delivered 58 capital projects on health alone including establishment of 74 primary healthcare centres, new doctors’ quarters, and overhaul of eight hospitals in MMC, Biu, Damboa, Monguno and Magumeri.
Fifty three capital projects were delivered on reconstruction rehabilitation and resettlement to address effects of internally displaced persons (IDPs) which involve more than 6,000 resettlement houses for IDPs and refugees in 15 towns to remove beggars and destitute from the streets including empowerment measures where in complimenting the governor’s efforts, President Muhammadu Buhari has since approved 10,000 resettlement houses in the state with 4,000 already completed.
There are 28 capital projects on jobs creation, youth empowerment and humanitarian support which include an all-inclusive vocational training centre with 14 workshops for capacity development of 1,500 persons per annum.
There are also 15 capital projects delivered on commerce and industry; 13 capital projects on agriculture and 10 capital projects executed on security.
It could be recalled that the monthly allowances of volunteers in the Civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes was increased while over 700 vehicles and other logistics were needed to enhance their operational roles of complementing the Armed Forces in fighting Boko Haram insurgents.
Governor Zulum warned council chairmen and legislators that nobody would be spared, no matter the relationship. He advised them to get prepared and not sleep yet until it is over as he said that it is not yet over until each of them is held responsible and accountable to the LGC funds.
He made it abundantly clear to all and sundry that no corrupt and non performing politician would be reappointed in his cabinet either at the state assembly or LGCs elections respectively.
