Less than 24 hours after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced a review on the operations of parks and gardens in the city and directing that they should henceforth close by 6pm, the administration yesterday repatriated over 170 beggars arrested from different parts of the city to their respective states of origin.
This, according to FCTA, is part of its effort to ensure security of lives and properties in the federal capital.
The repatriated beggars, who were evicted in groups in different buses, were taken to states such as Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau and Gombe. Other states are: Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Abia.
The repatriation exercise, which was carried out by the Society Against Prostitution and Child Labour in Nigeria (SAP-CLN) in collaboration with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and Social Development Secretariat of the FCT administration, was the biggest since the exercise started months ago.
While addressing journalists at the Bwari Rehabilitation Centre where the exercise took place, Grace Adogo, coordinator of SAP-CLN, explained that based on the security state of the FCT, the beggars have to go back to their states.
“Because of the current security challenges in the FCT, the permanent secretary, Nathaniel Abiodun Olorunfemi has directed us to rid the city of the street begging and hawking which contravenes Section 36 of the AEPB Act of 1997,” she said. “The beggars, who are widely unknown and who do not have any identity, often flood traffic jam in the city carrying bags with unknown items. They even peep into peoples’ cars while begging for alms”.
Stay away
She warned the beggars not to return to the city, adding that they (beggars) would be prosecuted if arrested for the second time.
Oludare Atere, assistant director at the Social Development Secretariat of the FCTA lamented the problem posed by beggars saying that it appears to be getting complex by the day.
He added that the FCT administration would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that beggars, hawkers and commercial sex workers are removed from the street of Abuja.
Mr Atere enjoined the beggars to seek meaningful sources of livelihood when they get to their respective states of origin.
On his part, Bala Tsoho the principal, Bwari Rehabilitation Centre, expressed dismay at the unwillingness of most of the beggars to embrace the FCTA initiative to rehabilitate them at the centre.
He said this is because the beggars lack a “sense of dignity and pride.”
Source: Next Online
