The agony of the destitute in Kaduna

Sunday, July 4, 2010

THE issue of destitution is becoming a serious menace and an eyesore in most cities in the country, especially Kaduna. Destitution can be described as a state of lack, poverty and insanity. In other words, someone who is destitute has money or possessions, and is homeless. No one actually chooses to be destitute in life. Analysts believe that the state of destitution in our society today is largely owed to some socio-economic factors. Poverty is the most pronounced among these factors. There are people who are hungry today in Kaduna, and cannot afford even a square meal through no fault of theirs. Others are mentally challenged owing to untold hardship, illicit drugs and curse. In any case, the government ought to be responsible for them. In Kaduna, especially the metropolis, there are different disturbing cases of destitution. Ordinarily, one can say there is a serious case of poverty as well as hunger in the land.

Little surprise then, that when one walks or drives through the city of Kaduna today, he is greeted with the disturbing sight of beggars and nuts. From Unguwar Sarki to NEPA Roundabout, you could lose count of the number of beggars and other destitute that you are likely to meet along this road. In some cases, they even constitute danger on the road; as motorists stop at traffic circles and junctions in obedience to traffic light and wardens, beggars are seen going in-between obstructing traffic flow. It appears to be part of the norm of the people of Kaduna State. The ordinary people in the state are complaining bitterly that government does not care; nobody actually gives a hoot about them. They are hovering on the brink of destitution. What happened to all the millennium promises like “Housing for All”, “Goodbye to Poverty”, “Employment for All”, “Women and Youth Empowerment” etc?

One wonders what the government is doing to curtail the ugly trend of destitution. It appears that the government at all levels has failed the people, and the destitute are the worst hit. The complacent attitude of those who are supposedly in charge of the welfare agencies of these downtrodden in society is quite worrisome. One of our reporters that turned in this report had some bitter experiences both at the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Board and the Ministry of Women Affairs. His ugly experiences clearly show that the government does little or is not compassionate and sympathetic toward the plight of destitute in the state.

After meeting with beggars, cripples, the blind, deaf and dumb, and hearing their tear-filled stories, we felt it was  wise we heard the government version in order to have a balanced report. First, our reporter went to the Rehabilitation Board to speak with the Director, and was only able to see him after several attempts. But the Director, Malam Shehu Abubakar, said he wouldn’t speak until the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs had spoken to our reporter; as it would serve as insubordination to do so.  Bureaucratic bottleneck, you would say. In any case, why would they employ bureaucracy when it has to do with vital information on their activities, and would not do so when it has to do with monetary sharing? It does not make any sense.

So it was. The reporter got to the office of the Permanent Secretary where he waited for hours without seeing or speaking with her. “I was made destitute. If they could give me this kind of treatment, what would they do to a cripple if he comes crawling to their office? I would not be surprised if the case of the destitute is used by government officials for sourcing funds that eventually end up in private pockets”, he added.

One keeps hearing of millions of Naira being expended to better the lives of the less privileged in the society; but what do you see around you? It appears that our leaders would prefer that the destitute remain in their present condition so that they could continue to lord it over them and their generations to come. It has been a terrible chain of curse. One destitute gives birth to another destitute; another and another. And so it continues! 

How can you make an effective policy on poverty reduction when you have never been poor? Nigeria is far from reaching the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on poverty by 2015. A lot of Nigerians are living below the poverty line. Unfortunately, these are the people that constitute the larger percentage of our national population. Where are the skills acquisition centres the government makes so much noise about? Visits to the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Board and other relevant agencies confirmed the fact that most of the said skills acquisition centres have long been abandoned and are now homes to rats and reptiles.

Report has it that there are about 6oo, ooo disabled people in Kaduna State. It has equally been discovered that the government has not done enough in alleviating the suffering of these people. According to sociologists, any society that fails to provide the basics of life for its citizenry is a failed society. Year in year out, you hear of millions of Naira being voted for poverty alleviation. But the reality on the ground shows that poverty among the people is far from being eradicated or alleviated.

When it comes to votes, our political leaders will embrace the destitute on the road in order to get their votes. But as soon as they are elected into office, they become lords over them. Is there anything wrong in providing a decent housing for the destitute? They also have fundamental human rights and deserve to be treated with respect. According to Mr. Micah Shabi, the Director of Research Centre for People with Disabilities, the affairs of people living with disabilities should be taken away from the Ministry of Women Affairs, because it is apparently clear that the ministry does not have a good heart towards them.

“Look at the attitude of the Kaduna State House of Assembly over the Disability Bill we presented to the House in August 2009. Up to this moment it has not been passed. The painful aspect of it is that nobody is giving any explanation on what exactly is happening to the bill. Nobody cares about the welfare of the disabled. And if you asked me, I would say that most of our leaders do not have the fear of God. If they did, they would recognize God in these vulnerable people,” Micah Shabi said.

On Kano Road, at the back of the Central Mosque up to Taiwo Road, a lot of destitute can be seen. The majority of them are women, elderly men and a few young people including children. The women are more than 60 in number. Some of them have little children sleeping beside them under the scorching sun. They talk freely with one another as others are seen either plaiting their hair or engaged in other menial activities. Most of them are not physically challenged but they look frail. It was obvious they were seeking for their daily bread.

A good number of the elderly men are blind. They sit near the gutter and only a few of them have umbrella to themselves from the rain or the sun. One of them has elephantiasis, and usually repairs shoes by the roadside and is so engrossed in the trade that he hardly notices passers-by.

Around Kano Road by Ilorin Road in Kaduna, there are also a few other destitute there. They comprise elderly men and women. Children are also seen around this vicinity coming out of a fenced compound. They are more than 10 in number and playing beside the roadside.

Audu is a beggar. He is helped by his daughter, a small girl of between eight and ten years. He said that there is nothing good about begging. “We are not begging because we enjoy it but because if we stay home we will die of hunger. There is nobody to help us; nobody to cater for me and my family. I am not the only one at home; I have wife and children at home. Who will take care of me and my family?” he asked in a furious voice. “This is my child” pointing to the girl guiding him around.

According to him, it gives him pain seeing other children in school while his own children are not in school because he cannot afford to send them to school. “I am blind, I can’t see. What do you want me to do? What kind of job do you want me to do to support my family? If government would come to our aid today, we would not be roaming the streets begging.

He blames government for neglecting the disabled, leaving them with no other choice but to beg.

“When I had my sight, I was not begging; I was farming. I was a very good farmer! I know that there are some people who see begging as business. But look at me, a young man. What do you want me to do? Who will offer me job?” he asked.

His daughter, Dije who is guide, is between the age of seven and nine. She says that she would like to go school like other children, but her father is blind and   doesn’t have enough to send her to school.

Hadiza is also a beggar in Kaduna. She is usually seen around the AP Filling Station in Unguwar Shanu. She hails from Kano State. “My children are in Kano, they are not here with me. I am begging because I need to help myself,” Hadiza said.

When asked why she left her children in Kano only to come to Kaduna to beg, she said that she was not in Kaduna to beg. According to her, she  lives with her relatives in Abakpa, cannot wait for them to do everything for her. “I am staying with my relations here in Abakpa, but I don’t want to depend on them for everything, that is why I’m begging,” Hadiza added.

Unfortunately, Hadiza believes that begging is the will of God for life. “It is not my wish to be begging. She also sees it as an act of God. “Are you not a Muslim? Don’t you believe in destiny?” she asked.

Hadiza, though looks old and almost toothless, she appears healthy and walks energetically from car to car, begging.

At the same filling station in Unguwar Shanu is another beggar being helped by her daughter.  She is blind and identifies herself as Maryam. She resides in Abakpa. She says she begs because she is blind and poor.

When asked if she doesn’t have a husband, she kept mute and pretended not to have heard.

“You think we are begging just like that?” You can see for yourself that I am not begging just like that. I am blind.

Her guide, who is also her daughter, is between the age of twelve and fifteen. She says she is helping her mother because her mother is blind. According to her, she helps her mother for a half day, before her sister returns from school to take over. “If my sister comes back now, she will takeo ver. But sometimes if my mother is tired half way, we go home early.”

Dada is another elderly along the Magadishu layout in Kaduna. She looks healthy, except for the old age written all over her. She is one of the beggars that beg due to old age. She hails from Zamfara State. It is surprising why Dada is begging;  she has people who are naturally there for her. It appears that begging is in her blood.

“I don’t have children. I have never had one,” she added. Though she says she is becoming tired of begging, she is not sure what she will do with her life if she stops begging. She says no one knows her whereabouts or what she does for a living. But she visits her village from time to time.

Malam Mohammmad Hamisu Ya’u is an Islamic scholar. He classified begging in two. He says people beg for different reasons. There are those who beg because they are disabled and physically challenged, while others beg because they are lazy and do not want to do something tangible for themselves. For the category of beggars that will be sick without the act, they need help; and should be helped.

There is a verse in the Holy Quran which says “When they come to you begging, help them.” Don’t discriminate against or humiliate them. Who are we talking about here? This verse is talking about those who are physically challenged and those who don’t have people to cater for them. For such people, it is necessary to go out to beg in order to make ends meet.

“There are those who also see begging as a means of making money; business. This is the category of beggars  that is condemned in Islam. But unfortunately, they make up ninety per cent of the beggars in our streets. It is not permitted in Islam. Islam frowns at it. It is absolutely un-Islamic. In fact, there is a grave punishment for those who engage in this kind of begging on the Day of Judgment,” he explained further.

According to him, age is not an excuse for someone to beg. “If you are old, it is the responsibility of your children to take care of you. If you take care of your children, they will, in turn, take care of you when you are old and weak. That is the way of Islam.”

“If you could access the account of most beggars, you will be surprised how much they have in their account.  Some of them are even richer than you. They are just begging to save and not because they actually need it for their survival,” Malam Ya’u said.

Malam Ya’u further said that we are having more beggars on our streets today because our government does not actually care about their welfare. During the time of Abubakar, Umar and Uthman , even after the death of the Holy Prophet, things like these were not happening;  because they had a responsible leadership. For instance, during the time of Umar bn Abdulaziz, he ensured that even the animals were catered for. He ensured that all his people had something to eat, no matter what.”

People should recognize the fact that disability is not a choice, disease or a curse. It could be anybody. It could be you, it could be me. Let us show love and respect to the destitute among us, not treat them as if they are outcasts in the society. Do not abuse their self-dignity and human rights. It is pathetic when the destitute are loaded in trucks when the government is evacuating them from one place to another. Why do we live a life of pretence? During the last U-17 World Cup in Nigeria where Kaduna served as a hosting centre, the city was made clean and beautiful. But today, the city is losing its beautiful serenity. What is the government doing about this?

The destitute are also human. They need to be loved and appreciated, just like anyone else. Until the end of one’s life, the issue of disability cannot be totally ruled out. The government should, as a matter of urgency, pay attention to the plight of the destitute in the society. More importantly, the government of Kaduna State should address the ugly trend of destitution on the streets of Kaduna and its environs, lest it turns into a city of destitution. This is one way through which the government can really touch the lives of ordinary people of the state positively.

The government should also intensify its efforts in the area of poverty eradication. The destitute also have the right to decent living. The government should discourage street begging and rid the streets of lunatics. The mentally challenged should be taken to psychiatric homes where they will be catered for. The government should upgrade the facilities in all the rehabilitation centres across the state.