Evacuation of Almajirai good for Nigeria’s development — YWC

By Dapo Akinrefon

The Yoruba World Congress, YWC, Wednesday, threw its weight behind the evacuation of Almajirai to their respective states of origin by northern governors, noting that it was good for Nigeria’s development.

They noted that it was time to end totalitarianism and over-centralisation, which they said was hindering the country’s development.

Almajiri educational system is a federal dictated, financed and controlled educational system for abandoned and wandering children scattered all over the Northern part of Nigeria.

YWC, in a statement titled “Time to hands-off totalitarianism,” by its Communication Secretary, Akogun Tola Adeniyi, said the recent evacuation of thousands of Almajirai across the 19 northern states as a result of the coronavirus pandemic is an indication of the governors’ age-long dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s meddlesomeness in the running of their respective primary education system.

The statement reads: “In sacking the Almajiri pupils and evacuating them in hundreds to their respective states of origin, northern governors vowed not to allow the system to persist any longer because of the social challenges associated with it including the perpetuation of poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and social disorder.

“In view of the drastic and bold steps taken by the 19 governors to rid their region of security risks and social and economic malfeances brought about by ill-digested centrally controlled educational policies, notice was being served on the heavily loaded government at the centre that time was up for the Federal Government arm-twisting control of educational, state and local government schedules in Nigeria. Each state in the North now determines their destinies.

“It is also a clarion call on all other regions in the country to send non-indigenous people that constitute a nuisance and epitomise grinding poverty back to their regions of origin so that each region can properly plan for their indigenous populations and remove the crushing burden imposed on them by Nigeria’s Unitary Government.

“Totalitarianism and ruthless over-centralization have been the bane of the Nigerian federal system of government which is federal only in name. And its time is over.

“The Yoruba World Congress is convinced that this is the time to jettison self-serving policies like Quota System, Unity Schools, Federal Character, Education Trust Fund, Universities Commission, Universal Primary Education Board, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and several similar self-serving, corruption laden agencies smuggled into our peculiar federal system of government so that each region can determine their education system, their housing needs, their energy requirements, their roads and transportation priorities and food security requirements and of course internal security.

“COVID-19, in spite of its cruelty, has brought about stark and compelling realities and after its departure, Nigeria and indeed the world shall never be the same again.”


{Vanguard Nig}