Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, on Wednesday, suspended the planned expulsion of street children known as almajirai from the state.
The governor also said the state would welcome any almaharai, expelled from any state with open arms.
Speaking through spokesperson, Yusuf Idris, Matawalle said, “my administration will not repatriate any almajiri from the state, all those repatriated from other states can come to Zamfara and will be accommodated”.
He said the governor changed his earlier position following a meeting with three Islamic scholars, “Abdullahi Dallah-Dallah and Chief Imam of Sambo Dan-Ashafa Jumaat Mosque, Gusau and Sheikh Bello Kanwa who paid him Sallah homage at his country home, at Maradun.”
The governor also announced the scrapping of the committee he earlier constituted for the repatriation of almajiris from the state.
According to him, the decision followed “a careful study of almajiri system in the state which only needs to be integrated into western education for the purpose of acquiring qualitative education in both western and Islamic knowledge”.
He said he cancelled the repatriation idea in order to give the almajiri “a sense of belonging and reduce the stigmatisation meted on the Almajiri Islamic teaching and learning in the country”.
He added that “almajiri have a right to quality education at all levels of governance in the country, Zamfara State inclusive.”
He, however, assured that his administration is working hard to come up with a reform that will integrate almajiri system of education “into a more attractive and more accepted way not repatriation“.
Welcome them with open arms they are your offsprings.