Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has averted a showdown with beggars in the state by reaching a truce on Tuesday, over the recent ban on street begging and hawking.
Beggars at the weekend took to the streets in protest of the ban and threatened to drag the government to court over the matter.
The two parties have however agreed to sheath their swords and the beggars also agreed to give up begging, The Nation reported.
This development followed the governor’s visit to the Kano Road beggars’ colony and Kaduna State Rahabilitation Centre Tuesday.
According to the El-Rufai, the government has concluded arrangement to rehabilitate and train beggars on various skills.
El-Rufai maintained that, the interest of a group who think they have the right to beg for alms cannot override the security of over eight million people living in Kaduna State.
“There is no going back on the ban of street begging, but we are not going to repatriate anybody. The problem is here and we will solve it here,” he said.
Meanwhile, Head of the beggars in the state, Abdullahi Samaila while responding to the governor commended him for visiting them and promised to cooperate with him.
He said, it was not that they derive pleasure in begging.
*Reported by TheNation online
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