Almajiri: Ganduje Slams Northern Governors For Failure To Halt Interstate Movement Of School-Age Children

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has expressed
disappointment over the seeming inability of some northern
governors to halt the interstate movement of school-aged children,
describing this as major obstacle to addressing the Almajiri
problem in northern Nigeria.

Ganduje, who spoke on Monday at a media briefing to mark
Democracy Day in the state, said that part of their decision
reached by the northern governors was to come with a common
legislation to restrict this movement, adding that many northern
governors had failed to implement that decision

In his words: ‘The Almajiri problem is real problem, it is a big
problem. What we anticipated was a decision by the northern state
governments to have the same legislation preventing the movement of
school aged children from one state to another. We have not
succeeded in that.

‘Kano State, being the commercial nerve centre for the northern
part of this country and for some Western African countries, we
have children from over the northern part of the country, from
Niger and from Chad coming to the state,’ the governor stated.

‘We have established three mega schools for Almajiria and we
have completed these schools. But the children that we decided to
return to their respective states, they come back to Kano even
before our officials come back… because the correspondent states
have not taken the issue of Almajiri as serious as we have done,’
he stated.

‘So, we have to go back to the drawing board, if I have to be
frank with you… With the amount of insecurity all, we are handling
this issue with care. But our enrollment is on, we have over 3,000
Almajiri in the state. Some we have taken back to the neighborhood
schools. The indigenes of Kano have been taken back.

‘But the only problem we still have is that Almajiri that is
coming from other state…. So, it is an issue that we cannot say we
have succeeded. But since we have the political, we we will march
on,’ said the governor.

Ganduje also appreciated the recent endorsement of a united
Nigeria by different regional groups and socio= cultural bodies,
namely Ohaneze, ACF, Afenifere and Middle Belt Forum, while
expressing confidence that Nigeria would continue to be one
indivisible country.

He observed that those who are calling for the secession and
fragmentation of Nigeria were young people who did not experience
the civil war, saying he was more attracted to the encouraging
position of the elders of these regional groups than those of the
young men.

Governor Ganduje charged the regional groups to come together
and discuss with a view to converting these diversities and
differences to opportunities for the unity of Nigeria.

‘Some of us believe that our diversity is a blessing this is
because that each ethnic nationality in Nigeria has got some
inherent trait which when properly harnessed would move Nigeria
further,’ he stated.

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has expressed
disappointment over the seeming inability of some northern
governors to halt the interstate movement of school-aged children,
describing this as major obstacle to addressing the Almajiri
problem in northern Nigeria.

Ganduje, who spoke on Monday at a media briefing to mark
Democracy Day in the state, said that part of their decision
reached by the northern governors was to come with a common
legislation to restrict this movement, adding that many northern
governors had failed to implement that decision

In his words: ‘The Almajiri problem is real problem, it is a big
problem. What we anticipated was a decision by the northern state
governments to have the same legislation preventing the movement of
school aged children from one state to another. We have not
succeeded in that.

‘Kano State, being the commercial nerve centre for the northern
part of this country and for some Western African countries, we
have children from over the northern part of the country, from
Niger and from Chad coming to the state,’ the governor stated.

‘We have established three mega schools for Almajiria and we
have completed these schools. But the children that we decided to
return to their respective states, they come back to Kano even
before our officials come back… because the correspondent states
have not taken the issue of Almajiri as serious as we have done,’
he stated.

‘So, we have to go back to the drawing board, if I have to be
frank with you… With the amount of insecurity all, we are handling
this issue with care. But our enrollment is on, we have over 3,000
Almajiri in the state. Some we have taken back to the neighborhood
schools. The indigenes of Kano have been taken back.

‘But the only problem we still have is that Almajiri that is
coming from other state…. So, it is an issue that we cannot say we
have succeeded. But since we have the political, we we will march
on,’ said the governor.

Ganduje also appreciated the recent endorsement of a united
Nigeria by different regional groups and socio= cultural bodies,
namely Ohaneze, ACF, Afenifere and Middle Belt Forum, while
expressing confidence that Nigeria would continue to be one
indivisible country.

He observed that those who are calling for the secession and
fragmentation of Nigeria were young people who did not experience
the civil war, saying he was more attracted to the encouraging
position of the elders of these regional groups than those of the
young men.

Governor Ganduje charged the regional groups to come together
and discuss with a view to converting these diversities and
differences to opportunities for the unity of Nigeria.

‘Some of us believe that our diversity is a blessing this is
because that each ethnic nationality in Nigeria has got some
inherent trait which when properly harnessed would move Nigeria
further,’ he stated.