Okorocha Suggests Best Way to Tackle Almajiri Problem in Nigeria
Rochas Okorocha
By Segun Awofadeji
A former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has stated that the best way to tackle the almajiri problem in the country particularly in the north is for everyone to see them as human beings.
Okorocha, who was invited to Bauchi State by Sheik Dhairu Usman Bauchi, to celebrate his yearly Mauloud, was also given an award for being an ambassador of the poor.
In a chat with journalists, he also advocated that the Arabic system of education should be combined with the conventional school system.
According to him, “I am in Bauchi on the invitation of Sheik Usman Dahiru Bauchi who invited me for this year’s Maulud. I was given an award as Sarkin Yakin Talakawa by the Tijjaniniya and also the Garkwuwan Almajairi (Ambassador of Almajiris) and I think it has to do with my passionate appeal that the lives of the almajiris should be made better in this country.
“I am calling on all and sundry, the rich and government to see what they can do to help the situation and to see how we can fight poverty together, and not blaming the children and making them become guilty of offences they didn’t commit because they did not bring themselves to this world.”
Okorocha added: “The best way to address the almajiri issue is first of all, government must accept the fact that these almajiris are our children and once we accept that fact, then we have done 50 per cent of the job and then we have to think about how to combine this school system, the Arabic schools, with conventional schools and empowerment.
“If they reach the age that they should go to farm there must be something they can do because I don’t think that there is anybody created by God that is useless. It is only when there is no idea that people look useless but there is no useless person in this world.”
