The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule has bemoaned the participation of Almajiris in the recent nationwide hunger protest in especially in the northern part of the country.
Sule stated that most of the protesters during the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in Nasarawa State were Almajiris who knew nothing about the rallies.
Recall that the organizers of the #EndBadGovernance protest called out Nigerians to demonstrate against the Federal Government over economic hardship in the country.
The protest which was slated for August 1 was to last for ten days across cities in the country. But the protests assumed worrying dimensions after looting and destruction in some northern States led to the imposition of curfews.
Speaking on the development, Governor Sule is worried that some of the people who protested were young persons. He noted that most of them did not know why the processions were taking place.
The Governor made the disclosure on Thursday during a Channels Television programme, Politics Today.
He said, “During this last protest that we had in Lafia, the majority of those that came out on the streets were the Almajiris. Some of them five years old, seven years old, nine years old.”
“A lot of them didn’t even understand the meaning of the protest. When I spoke with them later, they didn’t even know what they were protesting against.”
The Governor, therefore, stated that one of the ways to address the level of illiteracy in the north is to educate the people.
He said, “The protest are an eye-opener for leaders in the region. It has tasked them to double up their efforts in fixing issues affecting them.
“So, we must sit down. At one point in the year 2020, we sat down as the Governors and took the decision about the Almajiris. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out well. They went back to square one.”
“Some of the religious leaders criticized it. But from what happened now, I don’t believe anybody will continue to criticize actions. We need to take actions in order to move forward. Otherwise, it’s a ticking time bomb, it will come and consume every one of us.”
“One of the biggest problems we have in the north, from the day I came, is the idea of education and the one we are still pushing on.”
“When people actually don’t have education and don’t have economic empowerment, these people will continue to behave the way these Almajiris actually behaved during this protest.
“So, education must be taken seriously in the North. We must be honest with one another.”
source: Channels TV
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