Some Islamic Scholars have cautioned the federal and state governments against banning the Almajiri system of education, saying the Almajiris have the right to practice their religion without the hindrance of any kind.
While speaking in Bauchi on Monday at the end of a meeting of the Tsangaya school proprietors and stakeholders, one of the scholars, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi said “We are Nigerians and have rights under the laws of the land to live wherever we want to live and to practice our religion. Also, Qur’anic Pupils and their teachers have these rights and henceforth we will not accept violations of their rights in the name of banning Almajiri system of education”.
While speaking in Bauchi on Monday at the end of a meeting of the Tsangaya school proprietors and stakeholders, one of the scholars, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi said “We are Nigerians and have rights under the laws of the land to live wherever we want to live and to practice our religion. Also, Qur’anic Pupils and their teachers have these rights and henceforth we will not accept violations of their rights in the name of banning Almajiri system of education”.
He added: “We will not condone the evacuation our pupils from one place to another like stray animals. We will not accept it, we disagree with any law that will contravene our rights.
“We must live with our pupils and they must learn the Holy Quran. We will continue to teach our pupils to master the Holy Quran as inherited over 1000 years ago. We do not want anyone to tamper with the traditional way of learning the Holy Qur’an”.
On the Issue of Almajiri begging, Dahiru Bauchi said that no Almajiri has ever gone to the house of any of the Northern Governors to beg for food, adding that the pupils beg for their food in the communities which they live.
Presenting a Paper on the right of Almajiri under Nigerian law, a legal practitioner, Barrister Aminu Balarabe Isa, condemned any action to ban the Almajiri system, pointing out that it contravenes Chapter 4 subsection 18, 34, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution which says Government shall direct its policy towards equal educational opportunities to all.
Six papers were presented by different eminent Islamic scholars and university lecturers who faulted the banning of the Almajiri system, saying that people are not telling the truth about almajiris who have been successful in life and condemned the campaign of calumny against the Almajiri system of education.
The Scholars said that poverty was the main reason why people are still begging in the country which the government is yet to address, adding that despite the evacuation of Almajiris in the country, people are still begging in the streets and nobody is stopping them.
​ A communiqué was issued at the end of the meeting, where Islamic scholars resolved to use media campaign to reject laws that will stop the Almajiri system of education, seek the intervention of prominent leaders in the country against maltreatment of Almajiri Pupils in some states and use their voters against politicians that will not support Almajiri system of education in Nigeria.
