Bauchi State Government has banned the Almajiri system in the state.
The system operates through the aggregation and congregation of hundreds of children, who beg by day and cluster in large numbers at night, as part measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Governor Bala Mohammed disclosed this Thursday during a state broadcast on the decisions arrived at after consultation with stakeholders in the State regarding the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Mohammed said: “This ban I must reiterate is not against Islamic learning or scholarship which will continue to be encouraged by government.
“Such learning must, however, be structured with classroom and adequate provision of accommodation facilities, and feeding. This ban does not affect established Islamiyya schools.”
“There is an agreement by the Northern Governors to ban Almajiri System in the Region. The Almajiri System is hereby banned in the State.
“As I address you, Kaduna and Kano States are in the process of evacuating Almajiris of Bauchi State origin back to us. We will receive and accommodate them at the NYSC Camp in Wailo, identify their parents and or guardians and reunite them accordingly,” he said.
“I have set in motion a process that will ensure the repatriation of Almajiris of other States in our midst back to their States of Origin. This process will be set in motion soon,” he added.
“At this point, I want to remind you that the closure of all Schools in the State is still in force. Islamiyya schools, seminaries and theological schools are not exempted. I must emphasize that all our borders remain closed,” he stressed.
The Bauchi governor has also suspended Friday prayers and Church services as part of measures to control the spread of coronavirus in the state.
The governor explained that in order to firm-up this partial lockdown, government had established local government enforcement committees to be headed by the local government caretaker Chairmen, while members will include district heads, religious as well as security leaders.
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