As el-Rufa’i dares the devil of tradition

Across the ages people have always been drawn to courses that are imperative to satisfying objective needs.  The quest to satisfy an objective need precipitates the necessitation for creating the best possible means to achieve it.   In sheer response to the needs of the time, people devised ingenious and high risk means   to address various   needs. Once upon a time, the vast stretches of the West African subregion   was under the Islamic theology with Sokoto as the headquarter.  It served as the source for   nourishing the socio –political and economic life of the people under the system. The North then was the reference point and epicenter of rich Islamic theology ruling over vast stretches of the sub region. It was an era defined by passion and quest for Islamic knowledge which was in sync with the tradition of the age and people sacrificed a lot to achieve it. Under the system and with theology as the organizing principles of social –political and economic life, it was convenient for people to leave their homes and family in search of knowledge at distant places within the sovereignty.  The spirit of the age was godly, less materialistic and transcends earthly life.  Even then, those in this trade of seeking knowledge at distant places were men old enough to fend for themselves-not ragged, hungry under aged children.

 However like all interventions –no matter how valuable and useful –are subject to the negative influence of time.  Time can render a thing of value today to be utterly needless or even useless at another time.  All human inventions and contrivances – within the constraint of time and space wear out in value and utility.

Where a means to an end becomes a menace –threatening public peace and the need itself, then it is time to have a rethink. It is time for the northern political leaders to have a rethink on how to obliterate this obsolete and unpopular tradition that has become an embarrassment to the religion and the region. The Alamjiri system of Islamic education which is supposed to be a continuing tradition of search for koranic knowledge in a deeply theological society relishing its virgin piety has outlived its purpose. It’s now a guise for irresponsible promiscuity, criminal abdication of parental duty and a combustible appliance for the raging explosion of social ills in our life.   The shifting trends offered by the dynamism of human society and the ravages of time have added up to compel a negative view and perception of this abused albeit deep rooted tradition.

Over time a well regarded tradition can become an irritating menace because later generation have abused and corrupted it. Under this circumstance the society, out of necessity is compelled to rescue itself from the pit of ruin. Societies are governed by two moral forces which are equally strong and operate alternately, one is the force of habit and custom, and the other is the inclination towards innovation and creativity. After sometime custom necessarily becomes evil, at such times, the need for something new begins to be felt.  An honest diagnostic reappraisal of the situation in the northern part of the country today –with Boko Haram and rural banditry   ravaging various states in the north and assorted criminality as dreadful components are evidence of a troubled society that is at odd with   itself. There should be no pretense to piety and godliness. Ours is a society bleeding moral ruination, ebbing values and seized by a wild passion of earthly devotion and irrational ungodly materialistic quest. It is a society that has lost its innocence.  The consequences are frightful explosion of social ills threatening to consume us.   

It is  obvious the government  is aware of the bourgeoning menace staring us in the face –for which timely  action must be taken before  it spiral   out of control. Earlier on the national security adviser Babagana Mungono speaking the mind of the government at the centre issued a timely warning of the growing menace that the almajiri system has become.  “Ultimately, government will have to proscribe this Almajiri phenomenon because we cannot continue to have street urchins, children roaming around, only for them in a couple of years, or decades to become a problem to society. “We are not saying that they are going to be contained in a manner that you might think we want to do something that is harmful to them, no. What we want to do is to work with the state governments to enforce the policy of education for every child. It is every child’s right, his entitlement so long as he is a Nigerian. We have to deal with the issue of these children, Almajiri, regardless of how people feel about it. .”

No sooner had he issued this statement than the defenders and beneficiary of this abused system rose stoutly to defend it, employing religious sentiments. Their logic was nothing short of a clever attempt to defend an exploitative system via subtle and open blackmail that government was out to erode the influence of religion in people’s lives.  They went a step further to claim that the government was planning to arrest anybody caught violating the ban on the alamajiri system.  The government had to maneuver into tactical withdrawal of its initial avowal to hammer down a ban on this obnoxious and decadent tradition which is not in practice anywhere in the Islamic world.

From the recent pronouncement of Kaduna government, it appears the buhari government has decided to engage the tough skin and resolute capacity of El-rufai to deal a decisive blow to the almajiri system.El-Rufai is a ruthless warlord with a reputation for daring hegemonic   tradition and his choice for this task couldn’t have been more appropriate and timely.   Its success in the state will be driven across the entire northern states harboring this dehumanizing culture of exposing young and impressionable minds to the cruelty of today’s world  under the pretext of religion.  He has given a clear insight on the various stages and complementary action that his government will take in the coming year.

 He has given a timely warning signal to all indolent and ignorant parents that the Almajiri system will soon be outlawed in the state. To back the resolve with a legal instrument the government has given indication that relevant statues will be amended to ensure that no child roams the street of Kaduna during school hours without consequences for the parents or guardians of such children.

“State Universal Basic Education Bill will repeal the 2005 law to reflect lessons learnt in the implementation of the domestication of the UBE Act to ensure the elimination of Almajiri phenomenon in Kaduna State.

“The education-related bills signpost our commitment to the enhanced enforcement of the UBE Act, Child Welfare and Protection Law, and the Street Hawking (Prohibition) Law. Our Education Marshalls, KASTLEA and the Kaduna Vigilance Service will jointly ensure no child in Kaduna State roams the street during school hours for any reason without legal consequences for the parents or guardians”

All well-meaning Nigerians must rise and support el-Rufai on this high-risk confrontation with the evil of tradition –something which no northern leader before had attempted.

Yakubu writes from Abuja

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