A teacher at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Obele Rhema, on Friday, urged the Federal Government to abolish Almajiri education system to curb insecurity in states in northern Nigeria.
He told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that Almajiri education system was a factor contributing to the rising insecurity in the zone, especially in North-East and North-West.
Rhema, who is Chairman of Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter, said that any country that needed good leaders started breeding them from the cradle.
“When a child is at infant age, that’s when the training of a good or bad leader begins.
“But, when we allow our children at infant or adolescent age to go about roaming the street to fend for themselves, then we have lost the value system.
“The patriotic zeal meant to be instilled in our children will no longer be there; our children will now rely on begging to eat, and to survive in a harsh environment.
“Those, who roam the streets under the guise of nomadic education, at a time will no longer believe in themselves; they don’t believe they can work to become self-reliant as envisaged by the national policy on nomadic education.
“I am calling on the federal and state governments to provide our children with technical education, skilled manpower training and agricultural training that will give them the opportunity to work in small and medium scale industries.
“These will bring about a reduction in street urchins and help to curb insecurity in the country,” Rhema said.
He added that currently, part of what had contributed to high level of insecurity “is because most of them have nothing to do; they roam the streets and resort to any available means for survival.
