ALMAJIRI: THANK YOU CORONA VIRUS

It takes a calamity to remove a calamity, at least for us here in the North. The Almajiri problem, in all honesty, has been a more greater calamity to befall the region than any pandemic ever recorded.

According to the latest figures bandied about by various concerned groups, including UNICEF, about 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria. Other sources put the figure at over 13 million, majority of whom are in the North.

But for the lockdown in virtually all states of the North as part of important measures taken by the Northern Governors Forum to curtail the spread of Covid-19, our streets would have been, as usual, literally littered with groups of Almajirai, loitering and begging for alms, even on Church grounds.

I have written articles on this subject time without number, calling on the Federal Government, States, Local Governments and stakeholders to find ways to halt this terrible system that only makes the region weaker by the day. You cannot afford to have nearly one third of a generation of your young men wasted in the name of tradition that has no religious significance or reward.

I argued that it has no place in islam and must be done away with, further suggesting that states should pass legislation giving Governors executive powers to ban the Almajiri practice in totality.

That was some months ago. I am really glad that with the advent of Covid-19 pandemic, some Northern chief executives, led by action Governor Nasir El-Rufa'i have been rounding up the Almajiri and evacuating them back to their original states to be reunited with their families.

Even if the will was there to do it, Covid-19 certainly helped in hastening the process. What remains now is the state governors to ensure that the system is abolished for good, so that we do not see a return to "normal" after the pandemic era.

It is a great delight to see that the Kaduna State Government has not relented in this exercise and just this morning, announced the arrest of a certain Malam in Zaria City that was keeping over 500 Almajirai, including 17 girls that the report said he marries off arbiterally at tender age based on their initial findings.

I totally agree that some disappointments are blessings. Covid-19 in this case, is a blessing in disguise. Thank you Covid-19, but please go away!