Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bosss Mustapha, has spoken on the danger that the almajiri system constitutes to Nigeria.
According to him, they are a security threat, to the extent that they can overwhelm Nigeria in the future.
speaking at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday, Mustapha okayed the action of Kano State Government to send almajairis in to their states.
He said:
“Most of them are minors. As a matter of fact, by the time they get to their teens they mature and become the Malams. And I think every government has a responsibility given to it by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I think section 14:1, to provide for the welfare and the security of its citizens,” he said.
“And I believe that the governors that are taking this option have that at the back of their minds. The states in which these Almajiris are operating, can we say that their welfare is being taken care of? Is adequate security being provided for them? And being minors, somebody has to take that responsibility. And I said we should look at it within the context.
“I believe that notable northern leaders have spoken extensively on the issue of the Almajiri. The former emir of Kano was very passionate about it, and I know the sultan has spoken about it and key leaders in the north, that if we do not deal with the issues relating to the almajiris, we are building an army that would overwhelm us as a people and as a nation in the future. If we do not cater for them, and provide for their welfare and turn them into productive citizens.
“There is nothing wrong about them learning the dictates of their faith. But we must prepare them equally for the future. Equip them, skill them so that they can become educated in their state and also productive citizens in the future, if not we are building an army that would overwhelm us in the future.
So, I want to believe that the actions that have been taken by these governors are in context to provide for the security and the welfare, realising that virtually all of them are minors.”
