Almajiri: Parents who abandon their children would answer before God - Sultan | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
19th January 2020
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar has said that parents who abandon their children to destitution in the name of almajiri would be answerable before God.
This is as he described the children as victims of circumstances beyond their control.
Abubakar stated so in Minna at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Islamic Education Trust (IET).
Represented by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi III, he challenged Islamic scholars in  northern Nigeria to come up with strategies on how to overcome the almajiri phenomenon in the region.
Almajiri are itinerant children enrolled in Quranic schools but have to fend for themselves while learning.
Mainly found in Northern Nigeria, the children resort to street begging and some jobs not suitable for their age.
At times, the children could become willing tools for criminality, drug abuse and other illegalities.
EduCeleb.com had previously reported on governments’ efforts to address the menace just as our investigations have shown that such are yield little impact due to negligence.
The Sultan observed that these Almajiris were victims of parental neglect.
He proffered a holistic approach that would accommodate how to overcome the challenge of the distance between the children and education
He also harped on the necessity of producing school books in languages Nigerians speak like other countries across the world do.
Specifically, called for recognition of Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, and Arabic as languages of science and technology education.
The leader of the Muslim community in Nigeria also challenged northerners to harness human and material resources to reduce poverty in the region.