BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD
KANO — Hundreds of physically challenged persons took to the streets in Kano, yesterday, to protest the law prohibiting street begging in Kano and environ by the state government.

The beggars, comprising the blind, the deaf, dumb, lepers, and people with disabilities, had mass in front of state high court located at Audu Bako secretariat and march in procession to the state House of Assembly located within precinct of the secretariat.

The protesting beggers, yesterday

Kano has several thousands of beggars looking for patronage from good Samaritans daily but vociferous Islamic clerics had consistently kicked against the act in line with Islamic injunction that abhors it.

The bill prohibiting street begging in Kano has been passed into law by the state House of Assembly and barring any last minute change, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso may sign it into law before the week runs out.

The bill, among other things, stipulates N10,000 fine for violators.

The huge crowd of beggars who protested chanted Allahu Akbar (God is great) and moved to the state Assembly that was already taken over by combat ready security personnel drawn from the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

Clash with security personnel

Attempt by the combined team of police and NSCDC to stop the protesters from gaining entrance into the House of Assembly nearly turned bloody as some elements within the protesters threw missiles that eventually paved the way for them.

The security men hurriedly beat a retreat and regrouped at the main gate of the Assembly where they successfully barricaded the protesters from gaining entrance into the Assembly premises.

The mild drama at the gate that lasted about half an hour raised the temperament of the vulnerable  group as they cursed and threw jibes at the security personnel.

Moment after, the Clerk of the state House of Assembly, Lawan Badamasy,, mounted a make shift rostrum to address the beggars, appealing to them to be calm in their conduct.

Badamasy told the protesters: “As you see me here I am not the speaker of the House nor am I a member of the Assembly, but they have assigned me to listen to your complaint and forward it to them as they are on project monitoring tour.

“I also appeal to you to be respectful and law-abiding and want to assure you that I will present this paper to the Assembly as instructed and I am sure you will get a positive feed back in due course.”

Disable Commission

A letter submitted by the protesting beggars to the Assembly entitled: ‘Request for the reconsideration of the bill that ban street begging’ a copy of which was obtained by Vanguard  stated: “There is need for the establishment of a Disable Commission in Kano to cater for the need of persons with disabilities.”

The association of disable persons further called on Kano State Government to consider provision of right and opportunities recommended by the United Nations such as right to live, equality and non discrimination among host of others.

Our quarrel with the bill

In a chat with Vanguard earlier, the Chairman of the Joint National Association of Disable Persons, Alhaji Aminu Ahmad said: “Our quarrel with the bill is simply over the failure of the state Government to address serious social issues that forced people into begging.

“Government has taken a wrong step at addressing issues rooted in tradition and the painful aspect of it is that the only rehabilitation centre that trained our members on vocation over the last 30 years has been converted to school by Governor Kwankwaso.”

Ahmad in tears asked; “We have been manhandled by this administration as if we influenced the circumstances we found ourselves, in any case God is our shepherd.”