From Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
A renown Islamic Scholar Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi has cautioned the Government and whoever wants to ban Almajiranci in Nigeria to respect their rights to practice their religion without hindrance of any kind by allowing them to continue learning the Quran with their Pupils where ever they want to reside in Nigeria as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.
Dahiru Bauchi Stated this at the end of the meeting of the Tsangaya school proprietors and stakeholders held at Zaranda Hotel Bauchi, He said “ we are Nigerians we have rights under the laws of the land to live where ever we want to live and to practice our religion ,Qur’anic Pupils and their teachers have these rights and henceforth we will not accept violations f our rights in the name of banning Almajiranci and evacuation f our pupils from place to another like stray animals, we will not accept it and we disagree with any law that will contravene our rights”
He said we must live with our pupils , we must learn the Holy Quran and we most teach our pupils how to learn, memorized and master the Holy Quran as inherited over 1000 years ago, we don’t want anyone to temper with the traditional way of learning the Holy Qur’an.
On the Issue of Almajiri begging Dahiru Bauchi said “ did Almajiri go to the Houses of the Northern governors to beg for food? No, the pupils beg for their food in the communities they live and the communities are not tired with us”
Presenting Paper the right of Almajiri under Nigerian law Barrister Aminu Balarabe Isa said any action to ban the Almajiri system contravenes sections 18 which says Government shall directs its policy towards ensuring equal opportunities to educational opportunities, chapter 4 , chapter 34,38,41, and 42, of the 1999 constitution.
Six papers were presented by different scholars that attended by different eminent scholar and university lecturers who explained that people banning the Almajiri system are not telling the truth about the successful almajiri’s who many were successful in life and debunk campaign of calumny against the Almajiri system of education.
The Scholars described Poverty, as the main reason why there are many people begging in the country which the government is yet to tackle even now that Almajiri were repatriated still beggars are begging in the streets and government offices why can’t they stop them?.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, it was agreed that the proprietors will unite themselves and speak with one voice on all matters affecting their activities, they resolved to use media campaign, support one another, to reject any laws that will protect them from practicing their religion, to seek the intervention of leaders against maltreatment of Almajiri Pupils in some states across the country, they will use their voters against any politicians that will not support Almajiranci in Nigeria, they will ask the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Nigeria to know the effort of the government on Tsangaya education
