The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to enforce the inter-state travel ban order and direct the Governors concerned to immediately halt the evacuation of the Almajiris amidst Covid-19.
It also urged the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to counsel the Governors concerned on the threat posed by the evacuation of the children at this critical period.
The House called on the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to include the Almajiris children among the beneficiaries of palliatives being distributed by the Federal Government to the less privileged.
It further urged the Federal Ministry of Health to examine the Health condition of the Almajiri Children and asked the Northern Governors Forum to rescind their decision on Banning Almajiri System of Education until those already in the system are provided for in the Universal Basic and Technical Education System.
These resolutions were reached at plenary on Tuesday sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Aishatu Dukku (APC Gombe) and Shehu Kakale (APC, Sokoto).
Moving the motion, Dukku said the House recalled that Governors under the aegis of Northern Governors Forum had on Tuesday 21St April 2020 issued a statement where they unanimously decided to ban the Almajiri system of education and evacuate the children back to their parents or states of origin.
According to her, the House also recalled that the statement hinges on the risk that the children are exposed to due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
The lawmaker said the House noted that about 10 million children attend the Almajiri Schools in Northern Nigeria with over 500,000 Almajirai living in the state of Kano alone, where the majority of the children are being evacuated from.
She said the House is: “worried that the evacuation of the Aimajirai is jeopardizing the fight against Covid-19 due to the high-level of movement of the children from different places and its attendant high risk of infection.
“Concerned that the evacuation of the children is against their fundamental human rights of residing anywhere in Nigeria as guaranteed in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Also concerned that the evacuation of the children is in violation of the interstate travel ban currently enforced by the government.
“Further worried that the nature and manner in which the children are being transported is dehumanizing and has brought them pain and untold hardships.
“Disturbed that in some cases, these children, after travelling for so many hours under harsh weather, were rejected and turned back by their states of origin or at best, they were kept in isolation under dehumanizing and demeaning condition.
“Alarmed that such action is capable of putting Nigeria on the spotlight of human rights violators and at the same time jeopardize our fight against Covid-19”.
