By Taiye Odewole Abuja
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has pledged the commitment of the 8th Senate to reposition the Almajiri Islamic Education System in the northern part of the country. Saraki stated this yesterday in Abuja when a delegation from the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and conveners’ of a proposed National Conference on Almajiri Phenomenon in Northern Nigeria, led by the Executive Secretary of the CCC and chairman, organising committee of the confab, Air Commodore Anas Yusuf (retd), visited him at the National Assembly. Th is was contained in a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha.
Th e statement read in part: “We all know that in the past, it used to be a system that produced a lot of scholars and jurists in the past. But what we have now is not the initial idea in setting it up. It has been abused and has now become a breeding ground for activities that are inimical to our developmental goals, particularly in the North and the Nigeria in general.
“So, the Conference you are organising with the aim of looking at the socio-political implications of the Almajiri phenomena that we have now, requires a collective approach that will help remove the abuse and make it very commendable. Let me assure you that the 8th Senate will like to partner with you in ensuring that the Conference is successful and to come up with the roadmap that will further strengthen the eff orts being made to reposition the system by diff erent states in the country.” Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the CCC and Chairman, organising Committee of the Proposed National Conference on the Almajiri Phenomenon in Northern Nigeria, Air Commodore Anas Yusuf (retd), lamented the plight of Almajiri in the North and the attendant socio-political consequences.
He said: “It is common knowledge that the Boko Haram terror group found willing recruits from some of these poor Almajiris. Nevertheless, since we know that the Almajiris of today as members of the society will be part of the leaders of tomorrow, it therefore, behoves on the leadership in the Northern Nigeria to tackle this neglected and challenging phenomenon. It is often said “A stitch in time saves nine.” He lamented that the current demographic estimates had put the number of the Almajiri in the North at about 10 million youth.
