RE: REVISITING THE ALMAJIRI ISSUE

We are still where we were last week – the Almajiris are still roaming the streets while scores of them keep disappearing only for their ritually-disembowelled bodies to be found. No one misses them, including the father (not mother, incidentally) who ‘sold’ them to this vagary-beggary. Meanwhile, the world (government especially) is still neglecting them. […]

We are still where we were last week – the Almajiris are still roaming the streets while scores of them keep disappearing only for their ritually-disembowelled bodies to be found. No one misses them, including the father (not mother, incidentally) who ‘sold’ them to this vagary-beggary. Meanwhile, the world (government especially) is still neglecting them. But we – the ‘commentariat’ as we are now called – will continue to discuss them, for them, for us. The following are some of the reactions from last week’s Column on the Almajiri:

M. T. USMAN <[email protected]: Like you I am always exercised by the Almajiri issue and vexed by the attitude we exhibit towards this social cancer eating Hausa Muslim society. Growing up in mid-50s to the 60s, I am aware of how the Almajiri system operated. It was a seasonal practice; after harvest Mallams would take young boys from the villages to the larger towns to live there and engage in the learning of the Qur’an. At the onset of the rainy season the Mallams would return the children to their parents to join them in farm-work – such that there would be no Almajiri around to receive food donation. Not hiding behind any philosophical explanation, the current situation is one in which rural parents are exporting their children to the towns and cities to avoid their responsibilities. Almajiri practice is now a social valve. The thing to do is for Northern governors together to outrightly ban the practice and arrange the employment of qualified Mallams in every village and hamlet to teach children in their locality and environment. It should be independent of the “Boko System” which should be available for parents who desire such education for their children. Remember there is not as yet compulsory education in our region or country. Governments can easily finance this project by cutting waste (such as sponsoring plane-loads of people to the Holy Land). During my boyhood I would attend primary school mornings and Makarantar Allo afternoons and weekends – and perform household tasks for my Mallam to boot. Close co-operation between the governors, the traditional rulers (who used to regulate the system) and those enlightened Ulama should achieve the goal of stopping this practice. The governors unfortunately have other priorities such as winning the next election. Thank you very for keeping the issue in the public view. Almajiranci has now become a gangrene on the body of Northern Muslim community: that limb should be cut off to save its life. Allah Ya sa mu gane!

FATIMA IBRAHIM-HARUNA <[email protected]: This is a topic that has been agitating my mind for a very long time. Each time I travel up North, starting from Kaduna to Zaria to Kano, I see these children in their worst elements. I mutter to myself how hopeless and helpless they look. I realise how much we have collectively failed these children (the elites, the wealthy, the scholars, and above all the government). We should all cover our faces in shame. Without belabouring the negative impact of this menace in the life of our society, and as rightly captured in your write up, what we lack as a people is the political will to seriously address this lingering issue. Previous attempts made to tackle it were quite feeble and unsustainable. Our elders are simply selfish and self-centred, thinking this problem will not affect them, but forgetting the saying that if the poor are hungry the rich cannot have a peaceful sleep. Your last thought on this issue brings to mind the Emir of Kano, HH Muhammad Sanusi II’s proposed Family Law. Implementation of this law may provide a panacea to this situation. I urge the Governments of all the concerned Northern states to, as a matter of utmost urgency, work with the relevant NGOs to seriously tackle this Almajiri menace which has gone out of all proportions.

LAWAL SHEHU, MD, mni <[email protected]: My reaction was prompted by the last paragraph of your column. Reading the paragraph before the last, I intoned to myself, “He’s said everything!” By the way, a few years ago the Kano State House of Assembly was said to have passed a law enforcing every child’s right to parental care and upbringing along the way you suggested. What happened to the law? I wonder. As to the last paragraph of your article referred to earlier, some of us have to stick out our necks despite the risk of being labelled “Anti-Islam”. Which Islam, I wonder? What happened to the Prophetic injunction, nay, directive to every believer in Islam to do all they can to stop any situation that is about to go wrong? To my understanding, no state in Nigeria is an “Islamic” State where only the religious clerics govern. Opposition by some clerics against current efforts by Sarkin Kano to codify family law is one of such misplaced interventions. Unless government insists on governing while others retain the right to free comment there is the clear risk of government abandoning governance to religious opinion leaders. Yes, we need the religious scholars to educate and remind us of rewards of good deeds (that’s why we attend congregational prayers), but they should not usurp functions of government. Government must also be bold to take enlightened position while carrying the people along. Yes, this piece will deliberately be misinterpreted, lampooned even, if you decide to publish it. But let commentators concentrate on issues. I have done my duty and exercised my right to own and propagate an opinion.

YUSUF ANAS <[email protected]: I pioneer an NGO called ‘Dawaki Youth Network for Better Tomorrow’ through which we conducted a preliminary survey on the influx of Almajiris into Kano City. We found, for example, the teachers nowadays teach almost nothing; most of the children are from neighbouring states (while it can be assumed that Kano children have been ‘exchanged’ in similar manner); most of the parents and guardians admit that the children are sent to Almajiri because they can’t be ‘afforded’, all the while hiding under the guise of searching for Islamic knowledge. This is alien to the pristine Almajiri System – it is plain and simple child exploitation and dereliction of adult duty. I hope this Forum will next time expand to incorporate all political leaders, academicians, traditional leaders and community representatives. There should be a pan-Northern social policy on this matter; all Almajiri Schools should immediately be relocated to where the Mallam comes from. The irresponsible parents (although in this matter the government is more irresponsible for not punishing irresponsibility) must be made to cater for their children in whatever way or form. We should not expect illiterate people to just become responsible citizens overnight – we must make them! To resolve the gone-bad Almajiri System we have to begin from the root cause, the family. We must all support the proposed Family Law of Sarkin Kano. 

ALIYU IBRAHIM <[email protected]: The Almajiri system is here to stay unless our political, religious  and traditional leaders make up their minds to scrap it. But this will not happen because the political leaders do not have the political will as they are afraid of the backlash from the common people and most of the Marabouts they consult during elections. These Almajiris are being used as prayer warriors by many of these politicians – and some of the hapless children are also used for ritual sacrifice towards achieving political ends. Traditional leaders of today must stand up to the political elite (although it has to be admitted they can deny them that 5% or even dethrone them). It seems, rather sadly, the Almajiris are on their own. And so we are all!