KADUNA: Beggars Protest Against Ban On Street Begging

FOLLOWING the attempt by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to ban street begging across the state, beggars on Wednesday besieged the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists along Mohammadu Buhari Way demanding for the withdrawal of the ban until the State governor fulfills his campaign promises to them accordingly.

Among their demands from the state government is the passage of the State Disability Bill into law which they said would cater for their welfare as citizens of the state adding that the state governor promised them during the campaign of ten per cent job opportunity which is yet to be fulfilled.

The Chairman, Concerned Citizens with Disabilities, Julius Shemang who spoke on their behalf stated that the passage of the Street Begging and Hawking bill into law without putting measures that will ensure their survival and sustenance was inconsistent with the state government.

“We are therefore to register our concern before you and the state House of Assembly that the signing and passage of the street begging and hawking Bill that is not in line with Article 4 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will create more hardship for our members.

“Before the 2015 general elections you mentioned during your campaign that if elected as governor of the state, you will make life comfortable for our members by signing our bill with a commission. This has not been done and we will continue the strike until the governor accede to our requests”, he said.

It will be recalled that the governor had last week presented a bill to the state House of Assembly seeking to ban street begging, hawking and other related activities in the state.