The House of Representatives on Thursday called on the Federal Government to conduct headcounts of Almajiris in the country and enroll them into the homegrown school feeding programme introduced by the current administration.
The call was part of the resolution reached after Hon. Mansur Manu members of the House moved a motion on the floor of the House. The motion entitled, “Need to Eradicate child destitution and Remove Beggars from Nigerian Streets through Provision Of Standardized Education System and Improved Livelihood” was debated by the House and passed.
Speaking Manu said, “a large number of children captured in the destitution net most of whom roam the streets begging for alms or hawking at traffic spots come at a huge cost to the nation in terms of loss of critical human capital and erosion of family values.
“Aware that the various religious and cultural value systems frown at begging and abandoning children without proper care, yet parents release their children to pass through such horrific conditions out of poverty and sheer abdication of responsibility.
"We call on the Office of the Vice-President to, in collaboration with States’ relevant institutions, conduct a census of Almajiri schools and headcount of the destitute children with the view to enrolling them in the ongoing National Home-grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP).”
