EVACUATION OF DESTITUTE FROM THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITOR

BY
GABRIEL ALUM

More than one thousand beggars were recently evacuated from the streets of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja by the Social Development Secretariat of the FCT. Several decades after the nation’s capital city was relocated from Lagos to Abuja, DUE TO IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS OF DISORDERLINESS, history is on the verge of repeating itself. Prominent among THESE UNPLEASANT SOCIAL PHENOMENON BEDEVILING THE CITY IS street begging WHICH HAS become one of the problems confronting the Federal Capital City ADMINISTRATION. STREET BEGGARS ARE found in MAJOR locations such as markets, churches, mosques, post offices, sporting grounds, recreational parks, traffic light junctions AND the Federal Secretariat, among others. The BEGGARS INCLUDE children, destitutes, THE disabled, the old, widows, refugees and even some who can be DESCRIBED AS professional beggars.
As THESE BEGGARS INCREASE IN NUMBER ON the streets, they HAVE constituted themselves into a very serious security problem. Equally DISTURBING is the array of able-bodied men and women who have taken up THE business OF BEGGING as they position themselves at walkways and motor parks where they solicit financial assistance to enable them travel to their PURPORTED destinations. They would pretend that they are stranded due to financial constraints. Apart from the overwhelming poverty in Nigeria, many factors have been identified as being responsible for this growing national malaise. THIS INCLUDES the absence of AN articulate welfare programme for the elderly and the destitute. The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA, is yet to FULLY IMPLEMENT a social SECURITY policy that would take care of the needs of the vulnerable and the poor. It is not just enough to outlaw begging in the city but something concrete must be done to ensure that the destitute do not besiege the city to beg for alms. Again, this embarrassing incidence of begging in the FCT can be blamed on laziness and greed on the part of some beggars.
There is no gain saying the fact that some people naturally do not like to work. They want to reap where they did not sow. Apart from the fact that street begging constitutes a social menace, it is also an eyesore particularly to foreigners who visit the nation’s capital for business transactions or tourism. It is clear that the efforts of the National Tourism Development Commission to ATTRACT TOURISM MAY not yield the desired results in making Nigeria a tourist haven for foreigners until street beggars are taken off the streets. A NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE OF STREET BEGGING IS THAT THEY could BE willing tools in the hands of disgruntled individuals to foment trouble in the society. Some of the beggars have been reportedly found with dangerous weapons, which they allegedly CLAIMED were given to them for safe keeping by their masters. Similarly, they can easily be recruited as armed robbers or miscreants. Many beggars have ALSO fallen prey to ritual killers. Others have ALSO been killed or maimed BY road traffic accidents.


IT IS WORTHY OF NOTE THAT THE TWO MAJOR RELIGIONS IN THE COUNTRY, ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY DO NOT CONDONE MINDLESS STREET BEGGING. IT BEHOOVES ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO PUT IN PLACE POLICIES TO DISCOURAGE THE ACT. While the appropriate authorities may be doing all they could to combat this social menace, the beneficiaries of their service are underground re-mobilizing them to go back to the streets. Abuja, the symbol of beauty in Africa should be jealously protected from the hands of beggars WHO NOW SEEM TO TAKE OVER THE CITY. HOWEVER, THE FCT AUTHORITIES MUST BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD. OTHER STATE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD ALSO TAKE A CUE FROM THIS BY RIDDING THE NATIONS MAJOR CITIES OF STREET BEGGARS AND PUTTING IN PLACE MEASURES TO FULLY REHABILITATE THEM.

Source: recorded live from FRCN daily commentary