Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo yesterday stated that the attainment of the country’s national goals and objectives, especially in the education sector cannot be complete without taking into account the plight of over 9.5 million Almajirai.
Sambo who stated this while commissioning the first Almajirai Boarding School in Kaduna state, said “the spectre of young people and vulnerable school-age children, bowl in hand, roaming the streets of our towns and villages, especially in the northern states of Nigeria begging for the means of their daily sustenance, does not only place a moral burden on our national psyche but portends a dangerous problem.”
“I am pleased to inform you that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has since granted approval for the establishment of similar institutions nationwide in order to keep to our promises in addressing this menace and meeting our Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of ensuring that every child in this country has the opportunity to education.
“Towards this end, therefore, the Federal Executive Council initiated the establishment of the Almajirai Model School in the 19 Northern states including Auchi in Edo and Oyo States respectively? at the cost of N5billion.
“The development of model institutions will be able to integrate and synchronize basic education effectively with Islamic disciplines,
“It remains one of the International Best Practices in the provision of education to this disadvantaged group of children, which will make them to also contribute positively toward the development of our dear nation,” he said.
On his part, the Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State, said the school was initiated by the government and now has 104 pupils which cut across the entire state and has everything to make their learning atmosphere conducive.
He said six more schools will be established in the state as part of measures to stop almajirai from roaming on the street.
In his remark, the emir of Zazzau Alhaji Shehu Idris commended the state government for providing the Almajirai schools in the state.