The revelation that emerged earlier this week that about five almajiri children repatriated from Kano to Kaduna tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease calls for serious concern, thorough discussion and immediate action. Or how do you explain contracting the deadly disease as a result of home delivery by the Almajirai?
You’ve heeded the advice of the government to stay indoors, you avoid crowded places, you shy away from congregational prayers, yet, the Almajirai boys, known for what they are: wandering around, can take coronavirus to your doorstep, free of charge.
If you are conversant with the North, you’ll know how these kids operate. Some choose to be a one-man mopol, while most go in team. They wander around aimlessly, bowl in their hands, looking for what to feed on. Moving from street to streets. Entering one door and exiting the other.
“Salam alaykum, ina Almajirai. Innaha… (whatever that means)”, they echo about. Some say it’s cultural. What manner of barbaric culture is this? It better not be. What is clear however is that Islam is free from Almajiranci and whatever it represents. Islam does not condone begging.
The Prophet is very clear on turning begging to culture. He was reported to have said that doing menial jobs like fetching wood from the bush and selling it off is better than asking people for favour. If people must give you, let it come naturally, not routinely begging about.
But again, can these children take the whole blame? Almajiri is a product of failed and irresponsible parenthood. When have you seen the son of Northern political and business elite wandering about, barefooted, garbed in tattered clothes in the name of Almajiri? This barbarism misrepresented as culture must stop!
Parents should start taking responsibility for their children. How do you give birth to a child you cannot fend for? Everybody is a shepherd, and would be asked about his sheep. Parents are shepherds with regard to their children. They are to provide for them, cloth them, even up to 30 to 40 years.
Before the Almajirai boys start distributing coronavirus to the doorstep of people in the North, the government had better spring to action. To this day, Almajirai are still wandering around with their trademark bowls. They least understand anything about hygiene. I doubt they know anything as coronavirus. All they are after is to eat.
The Northern governments have only abolished this system on the pages of newspapers, paying lip service to rehabilitating these boys. Nothing more! Erring parents should be dealt with. The Fashola/Lagos standard is there. What’s your child doing on the street when his colleagues are in school?
Why should you give birth to children you cannot cater for in the first place? The counter-argument is that Allah would provide as he warns us not to let poverty stand in our way to procreate. Good! But heaven helps those who help themselves. Allah cannot help when you are lazy and have refused to take up your responsibilities.
Most of the Almajirai grow up to become social misfits. No education. No proper socialisation. No value orientation. Painfully, the Arabic and Islamic education they claim to learn, most of them don’t know. You’ll be praying in the mosque, Almajirai boys would walk past the mosque without praying. Their stomach is their concern.
So many things to write about the Almajirai boys. The useful one at this material time is how the Northern governments will stop them from delivering covid-19 to people free of charge at their homes. In parody of the Yoruba saying, if the outside death does not kill one, won’t it be unfortunate that the inside one takes one’s life?
Abdullah is a sociologist and researcher [email protected]
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
