Street begging is growing to become one trend of deficient social character in the Nigerian societal configuration. The gradual enlargement of the trend has grown to asuming a somewhat ‘menace’ dimension. To some, the menace constitutes nuisance to what the configuration of coordinated cohabitation should assume in the society. The increasing profile of beggars littering the metropolises of several states across the Country apparently inform the perspective of those who subscribe to the perception of the trend as a regurgitation.
It is observable that most recently the increasing dimension which street begging is assuming is taking a disturbing turn. Threats identified to the subject are themselves offshoots of the expansive profile of the trend. Reports have been spreading of some who are known to be posing as beggars in some metropolises to merchandise evil machinations. Another ill offshoot is the subject of those who have formed cartels of using the means as a profit venture. There are some who are known to have turned to the enterprise of recruiting minors, disadvantaged, and physically handicapped persons to beg. Hence, the incursion of mischievous persons exploiting street begging as profit making venture has seen such mischief as hiring persons, adopting infants and other forms of disadvantaged persons to the mischievous craft for money making. The subject of ritualistS using the means to perpetrate their dastardly act is another subject which in recent times have been deterring people from beggars. The suspicion has been preventing and limiting alms to genuine indigent persons in recent times. The threat has continued to raise wary disposition of many to goodwill as many good intentioned Nigerians are taking extra caution not to fall into the trap of mischief.
However, while street begging in the South haS begun to assume expansive dimension, it is known that the practice has been a long time phenomenon in the Northern part of the Country. The phenomenon of subjecting children to street begging under a system which is tagged the “Al-majiri” phenomenon has been one deep rooted practice in the North. The phenomenon is such where minor males left at Islamic schools are made to scavenge for livelihood by begging during the day. Under such conditions, the children are deprived of western education and reduced to growing with begging orientations.
The identified threats the practice have been known to be constituting to appreciable coexistence and societal development, have led informed efforts by some State authorities in the region to come up with directives and laws to stem the tide of the phenomenon. On Monday, it was reported that an executive bill seeking the prohibition of street begging in Katsina, has scaled second reading in the State’s House of Assembly. Reports have it that the bill, presented to the assembly by the State Governor, Aminu Masari, scaled the second reading during plenary on Monday. The bill which was first read before the assembly on June 30 by the Majority Leader, Alhaji Abubakar Abukur, seeks to complement the ongoing efforts by the State government at repatriating Almajiris to their home states as well as sanitising the Tsangaya system of education. According to the majority leader, the bill, if passed, will help in addressing the menace of street begging. He emphasized that most of the children roaming the streets grew up to become threats to national security. The lawmaker who stated that if the bill eventually became law, it would provide a four-year sentence for defaulters or an option of N10,000 fine, mentioned that anyone found guilty for the second time would be taken to his/her country, state or local government of origin.
While the phenomenon is known to be deep seated in the North, it is gradually extending its tentacles to other parts of the Country in the South. As economic situations wane in the Country, it is observable that turning to street begging is assuming an expansive dimension in the region. The threats the phenomenon pose to deepening the profile of poor human capacity in the Country is troubling. This is necessarily perceivable in the possibilities of the entrenchment of the orientation of quick rescinding and descension into begging, rather than overcoming challenges through productive ventures towards personal and collective benefits.
The channeling of children into the act of street begging is one branch of the phenomenon that poses grave threats to the society, when children who are meant to be studying in school are reduced to begging and deprived of meaningful education. The degrading orientation that grows with children exposed to begging from childhood is such that in large extent wouldn’t be profitable in the long run to the Society.
It is important for the government from all levels across the Federation to rise to the task of crafting institutional controls against the expanding wings of street begging with the various offshoots sprouting from same. The necessity to raise advocacy against the menace is essential to deter people from descending so quickly to give in to street begging. It is paramount for the Government to strengthen efforts on rehabilitation measures where indigent beggars can be admitted for rehabilitation and empowerment. This is important to convert them through human development process to the height of appreciable capacity where rather than constituting liabilities and threats to the society, they become productive individuals. More importantly, it is pertinent for the Government to exert more concerted efforts into strategies of revamping the economy to change the prevailing narrative of the wobbling state of records which have continued to reduce more people to resort into begging.