I was not surprised at the reactions to my last week’s article on the tsangaya schools. But the responses have opened my eyes to the number of groups currently engaged in finding a permanent solution to this problem that is viewed as a pernicious influence on the socio-economic progress of the North.
These groups are taxing themselves, working round the clock, preparing documents towards integrating the tsangaya with the normal modern schools. I understand that there will even be a national conference on the matter next year.
- Centre urges northern governors to act ‘permanently’ on Almajiris
- Why interventions on Almajiri failed- CCDRN
Meanwhile, among those who made contact with me was Rear Admiral Suleiman Saidu, once Military Governor of Rivers State and subsequently Chief of Naval Staff in 1993. He is very passionate about what to do with almajirci. He sent me an article he wrote on the subject and published in 2015. I found a lot of what he said still relevant today and wish to share parts of it with the readers:
Rear Admiral Suleiman Saidu: “One of the reasons why this has continued to show its ugly face was that we have been fighting the smoke and never attacking the real fire. Almajirci is accepted in Islam, but the way it is being practised in Nigeria is wrong. Learning the Islamic religion is a must for all Muslims especially the young ones, but one does not have to leave one’s domain to be able to obtain this knowledge. The truth must be said and necessary remedies applied to this somewhat ugly situation.
The immediate solution is for the states, where this problem is paramount, to commence administering the medicine. The first step is to apply what two former Northerners of blessed memories kept hammering to our ears but which all concerned, the elites, traditional rulers and religious leaders always refuted. Mallam Aminu Kano and General Hassan Usman Katsina said “KOWA YA KOMA GIDAN UBANSHI” EVERYBODY SHOULD GO BACK TO HIS FATHER’S HOUSE, referring mainly to these roaming northern almajirai. It is common knowledge that no father will send his children begging in his village no matter how poor he may be. Thus parents must be held responsible for the upbringing of their children and the states’ administrations must, as a duty, ensure the educational requirement as being propagated under the Universal Free Primary Education for all, irrespective of ethnic or religious bias.
So, instead of creating special schools at different locations to cater to the teeming army of Almajirai from the affected states, repatriation to their states of origin should be embarked upon and where necessary together with their Mallams. After the necessary census of their numbers in the affected towns and villages, the states must as a matter of urgency open up more classrooms to accommodate the repatriated citizens for formal education so that they get on an even playing field with the rest of the citizens. It is at this stage that special classes must be operated to cater for the over-aged under the normal entry system. The over-aged for basic primary school training could undergo adult education (Yaki da Jahilci). Thereafter, they could go to Trade Centres to be groomed for gainful employment to become useful citizens. While the central government must come into the transformation stage, the affected states must, however, shoulder the initial responsibility of the repatriation and rehabilitation.
Traditional leaders and senior mallams need to educate the parents of those roving almajirai that the era of sending young men to the east (gabas), to learn the Koran has gone. I suppose that there is no village now where one will not find a mallam to teach all the children of that village the necessary koranic education while they are being properly guided at their parents’ homes. The mallams now roaming with the Almajirai can follow the children to their villages and be employed by the states as Islamic teachers in the expanded primary schools.
It is a shame that after all efforts made by our founding fathers to bring the region to compete with the rest of the country, we are still being classified as a group of beggars, because of our lack of moral courage to right the wrongs. Some of us who mixed with our colleagues from the south are still considered as privileged few because we had the opportunity to have a proper upbringing and are educated in both Boko and Islamic systems in the Elementary and Middle schools. The Northern region was an area that even the invading British met an administrative system under the Sokoto Caliphate that they did not find it necessary to replace. Boko, which is concocted from BOOK(BOKO) was taught side by side with the Islamic religion in all the elementary and middle schools, which we all attended, a system that got some of us to where we are today.”
All hail Sarkin Bai Karaye
On Friday, Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa, the Katsina State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), was turbaned by the Emir of Karaye, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar II as the Sarkin Bai. He is now a member of the Emirate Council and one of the kingmakers. We were colleagues in the Federal Civil Service where Malam Zarewa served as a director in many key federal ministries. I know he is very concerned about many local issues and I guess this position will give him an opportunity to contribute to finding solutions. Allah ya ja zamanin Sarkin Bai.
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