Organisations Push for Passage of Almajiri Education Bill

Onuminya Innocent In Sokoto

 National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in collaboration with voluntary  organisations in Sokoto state, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President and  Speaker of House of Representative to hasten the enactment and passage of Almajiri education law.

The NYCN Chairman, Sokoto State Chapter, Malam Yakubu Abzubakar,  made the call at a joint press conference yesterday  in Sokoto.

Abubakar along with others appealed for  the passage of Almajiri Education and Out of School Children Bill 2023, which was initiated and sponsored by House of Representative member representing Tureta/ Dange Shuni / Bodinga in the lower chamber, Dr  Balarabe Kakale along with 17 other lawmakers. He said the bill, when passed into law, would enable  government to provide multimodal system of education that would tackle the menace of illiteracy, develop skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes.

According to him, the efforts would prevent youth restiveness , poverty , delinquency and destitution as well as related ills in Nigeria.

‘’ We urged the  Senate to give the bill a speedy passage, Mr President to assent as soon as it gets to Presidency,” he stated.

‘’We are also calling on the federal government to engaged Nigerian youths in the implementation of the law,” he added .

‘’ NYCN urged states government especially northern states to domesticate the law in thier respective states, ‘’ Abubakar said.

The groups commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting the Nigeria Start Bill (NSB) and stakeholders involved in providing the constitutional establishment of Start-Up Act, 2022 which support youths Entrepreneurial development skills.

The participants also commended Governor Aminu  Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state for sending Executive Bill on Almajiri Education to state house of Assembly.

The groups also enjoined youths,  party candidates for forthcoming 2023 elections to shun all forms of violence during and after the elections

In a Goodwill message, the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, described the moves as timely and apt saying the gesture is on step direction in recognition of  the present happenings in the country.

Umar-Jabbi attributed the rising cases of out -of -school children to poverty, parental neglects, poor adherence to family planning, population upsurge, misconceptions, insecurity and others.

He lamented that the recent poverty index released where Sokoto was rated higher on poverty did not reflect Qur’anic education as literacy and many citizens in Sokoto state can read Arabic alphabets popularly called Ajami system.

This gathered that about 42 participated organizations included 21st Century Enterprenuers Hub, Hausa Fulani Youth Development and Orientation Forum, Voice of Nigerian Almajiri, Association of Physically Challenged Persons, Federated of Sokoto State Students and others participated in the event.