The lawmaker representing Ede North/ Ede South/ Ejigbo and Egbedore Federal Constituency, Hon. Bamidele Salam, has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to take children who gather around major road junctions in Abuja, begging for money off the road.
Salam in a letter to the Minister, a copy posted on his Facebook page, urged the Minister to build an emergency welfare custodial centre and enrol them into compulsory schooling or vocational studies and prevent them from going back to the streets.
The lawmaker also advised the FCT minister to make a budget and plan to sustain the programme and present to the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Nigerian Senate for approval.
According to Salam, doing so would solve the social menace and, more importantly, prevent a looming bigger crisis in the next 7 to 10 years when the children grow into adulthood without education or skills.
He wrote, “You will not be breaking any law or violating any provisions of the Nigerian Constitution if you pick up all the several hundreds of street children, otherwise called Almajiris, who gather around major road junctions in Abuja, begging for money every day and night.
“Build an emergency welfare custodial centre, pick them up, take them into custody, enrol them into compulsory schooling or vocational studies and prevent them from going back to the streets.
“Make a budget and plan to sustain the programme and present to the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Nigerian Senate for approval.
“This is how to solve a social menace and, more importantly, prevent a looming bigger crisis in the next 7 to 10 years when these children grow into adulthood without education or skills.
“Today’s uneducated children are tomorrow’s potential bandits, terrorists and petty criminals.”
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