By Ibrahim Bello
Birnin Kebbi – Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the menace of Almajiri and the clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
The governor made the appeal when he received a delegation from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons led by its Federal Commissioner, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.
He also called for a lasting solution to the Almajiri system of education and ways of living.
According to the governor, the almajiri problem is a systemic problem that needs continuous attention of the Federal Government.
“The issues of Almajiri and herdsmen have often been ignored and often seen just as a nuisance without any durable plan to address the challenges they pose.
”We have brought up the issues believing it is within your sphere as there is no agency in the country dedicated to dealing with both issues,” Bagudu said.
He said that apart from education aspect, there was lack of Federal Government establishment dedicated to handle the issues of Almajiris and herdsmen which were also migratory issues.
The governor also said that most of the almajiri in the state were from Niger and Benin Republics, who share borders with the state.
“These people can be found in sizeable numbers in all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state,” he said.
He, however, commended the Federal Government for improving security in the country, adding “before now, our farmers were afraid to go to their farmers for fear of being kidnapped or killed.”
Earlier, the Federal Commissioner said she was in the state to access the IDPs situation and also declare opened a sensitisation workshop for the North -West Geo Political Zone on ‘Consolidating the Migration Governance: Architecture’.
She explained that the state was strategically selected because of its location as a border state as well as its agricultural role to the country’s economy.
Hajiya Farouq commended the state government for the tremendous assistance to IDPs in the state.
