*Supports integrated education system
*Backs Gov Lawal commitment to making religious, modern education co-exist
*We promised out people we will produce people with knowledge, we are doing it – Gov Lawal
*Says school in Gumi shall be called “Sultan Sa,adu Abubakar Arabic Integrated School”
By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has made a case for state authorities across Northern Nigeria to put a stop to children engaging in street begging under the guise of Almajiri system.
Sultan Abubakar, who spoke while commissioning the Almajiri Integrated Arabic School in Gumi Local Government and a hospital in Nasarawa Burkulu in Bukuyum Local Government of Zamfara State, also supported the idea of integrated education system being promoted by Governor of the state, Alhaji Dauda Lawl.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Sultan called on Muslims in the state to enroll their children in to the newly commissioned Almajiri Integrated School, constructed by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal towards effective growth and development of the children and youths in the state.
He said the importance of Almajiri School could not be overemphasised, urging the benefiting communities to dedicate themselves by patronising the school as, according to the Chairman National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria (NTRCN), the school was constructed for easy study of their wards.
He expressed his happiness, seeing how the government of Zamfara State, under the leadership of Governor Dauda Lawal, was developing religious and modern education.
The Sultan, who advocated for end to street begg8ng by Almajiri, said, “We cannot educate our children by leaving them begging round streets of cities and towns.”
He stressed this during the inauguration of the Zamfara State Almajiri Integrated Qur’anic Education Centre, Gummi held in Gummi on Sunday.
He made himself clear saying, “I am not a politician but I’m here because of the importance I attach to the programme to me and community at large.
“Qur’anic Schools are centres where religious education and values were inculcated to children, but the only source of concern was begging among almajiri students,” the Sultan said.
The Sultan said “the school will help to achieve better religious and modern education”, calling on other governors to follow the programme of Governor Dauda to develop religious and modern education.
In his speech, Governor Dauda Lawal stated that, “since the election campaign, we have promised the community to provide people with knowledge and now we are working on repairing and building schools across the state.”
He also confirmed that his government would take responsibility for the school and take care of it, adding that this type of Almajiri Integrated School was also constructed in Gusau and Kauran Namoda Local Government areas.
The governor, however, informed the gathering that the Gummi Integrated Arabic School would be called, ” Sultan Sa,adu Abubakar Arabic Integrated School”.
