The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, recently declared war on beggars who loiter along the streets of Abuja. This followed concerns about street begging in Abuja, which has been visible at major intersections of the city, malls, airports, parks, markets and places of worship. Elderly men and women, the physically-challenged and children are among the hordes of beggars frequently seen on the streets of Abuja.

While some of the beggars carry placards detailing their plight, others, particularly women, carry infants to illustrate their vulnerability and attract sympathy from passers-by. Some of the women that beg with their kids claim they were forced onto the streets as widows displaced by the insecurity in some northern states of the country.

Speaking during the recent official commencement of the construction of the access road from Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway to Judges’ Quarters in Katampe District of Abuja, Wike said the move to evacuate the beggars was necessary because of the concerns that Abuja was turning into a beggars’ city.

“We have declared war on beggars because Abuja is returning to beggars’ city. If you know you have a sister, you have a brother who is a beggar on the road, do something, because from next week, we will take them out of the city. It is embarrassing that people who come into Abuja, the first thing they see are just beggars on the road,” Wike said.

As the deadline given to the beggars in Abuja expired on Sunday, October 27, 2024, the FCT Administration began a clampdown on them. Following an operation that was carried out by a combined team of the police, the military and other security and paramilitary agencies, a total of 34 persons (15 beggars and 19 scavengers) were arrested. Officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) admitted before reporters that in spite of their daily raid on the beggars, their number keeps surging. This is even as many of the beggars arrested in the past and taken to a rehabilitation centre at Kuchiko in Bwari Area Council of the FCT found their way back to the streets.

The attempt to rid Abuja’s streets of the long-standing cultural practice of street begging is laudable. No religion preaches street begging. Besides obliterating human dignity, it is an insult to self-esteem. As stated by the FCT minister, beggars could sometimes constitute a security threat, if the menace is not well managed.

The Director of Social Welfare in the FCTA, Dr Sani Rabe, said the recently arrested beggars would be taken to the government’s rehabilitation centre located at Kuchiko in Bwari Area Council, where they would be properly profiled. According to him, those who are trainable would be given the opportunity to learn some skills for personal empowerment, while others who are not willing to acquire skills would be repatriated to their states of origin.

While the AEPB has the mandate of cleaning the city, including the removal of beggars from the streets, the FCT Social Development Secretariat is responsible for the rehabilitation of those removed from the streets.

The usual superficial and haphazard approach to tackling the complex phenomenon of street beggars would only make a bad situation worse. It is a social problem that requires a coordinated strategy, not a fiat. The fact that the same step being taken now by Wike failed to keep beggars off Abuja streets when past FCT ministers took a similar measure shows how ineffective the repeated arrest of beggars has remained. They always returned to Abuja streets soon after their evacuation.

While we strongly support moves that would keep children of school age off the streets with penalties for their parents or guardians, treating adult beggars as criminals is morally offensive. A good number of them are victims of insecurity and multidimensional poverty. They cannot afford to send their children to school or afford the costs of basic medical care. Some of them die from preventable and curable diseases, including malaria.

As a vulnerable group of citizens, beggars have the right to be catered for. Beyond the repeated evacuation of beggars from streets, is the dire need to take measures that would forestall their flooding of the streets. This may include catering for their well-being as Nigerian citizens through a sustainable welfare scheme. It would be recalled that the administration of former FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai built a settlement for the destitute at Yangoji, located along the Abaji-Lokoja highway. The settlement has a primary school and a vast land for cultivation. In addition to the rehabilitation centre at Kuchiko, we urge Wike to reinvigorate and utilise the facility for the purpose it was established. The FCT minister can also synergise with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to address street begging in Abuja.

While we call on philanthropic individuals and organisations to key into available strategic welfare agendas for beggars, we advise state governments to partner on collective regional measures to tackle street begging. Real beggars are victims of circumstances. They deserve attention, not discrimination. (Daily Trust)