We’ll address Almajiri challenges, Tinubu tells northern clerics

The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, pledged to address the problems of the Almajiri system in northern Nigeria, if elected president.

Mr Tinubu stated this in Kano in a Town Hall Meeting with Muslim leaders and clerics from the seven states of the North-west region.

Mr Tinubu said successive administrations have failed to address the Almajiri problem because of a lack of coordination and planning.

Mr Tinubu said: “Let me answer the question of the Almajiri. You built schools without clinics, planning for their teachers, no allowance, Mr Tinubu said about the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan who built numbers of Almajiri schools across the northern state.

“To strengthen our social fabric and guarantee the future, massive investment in education will ensure that we nourish and guide our youth toward better lives.

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“Here, I speak not only of their material existence but also their spiritual existence and role as responsible citizens.

“Every child has the right to an education. It is a social wrong to see them roam the streets or drop out due to poverty.

“If allowed to be president, I will appoint a special commission and that commission and I will work with you to craft a lasting solution to the almajiri challenge.

“We will translate the enormous ability of our youth into something productive for them and the nation. They are precious and we must treat them as such, Mr Tinubu told the gathering while conversing for their support.”

Nigeria’s North-west is battling with the menace of the Almajiri referred to as street children, which constituted a high number of out-of-school children in the region.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in its latest global data, said Nigeria now has about 20 million out-of-school children.

I need your support

At the event attended by the host governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, Mr Tinubu said he will be a faithful and dutiful servant in improving a lot of all Nigerians, if elected.

“Ask your followers to come out and vote wisely vote for me,” Mr Tinubu said amidst applause from the gathering.

“Since I began this campaign, well-meaning Nigerians from all parts of this country have expressed their support and backing. This campaign is not simply my project and it is not just to make me president.

“Much more is at stake. Much more rests in the balance. This campaign, this election, is about our collective march to a better Nigeria. Do we march forward? Or do we lose sight of the road?

“As Nigeria approaches our encounter with destiny, we all must become more thoughtful and alert.

“As religious leaders, you are more than teachers. And the people must be more than just students who listen. We must act and we must act better than we ever have.

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“Religious leaders like you are agents of harmony and hope, not division and disunity.

“All well-meaning Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, must join hands against violence, hunger, ignorance and bigotry.

“We all must live together. No one has the right to try to lord over the other. Allah stands against such injustice. And where Allah stands all bad things must fall.

“A more prosperous, compassionate, tolerant and safe nation awaits us if we only follow Allah’s instructions to be fair and just.

“Let me offer a few thoughts about what I would do if Allah gave me the chance to govern our nation.

“My vow is a simple one. I promise to be a fair and just leader. This pledge is based on the Islamic teachings of leadership.

“A leader in a plural society is enjoined to be a leader for all. If elected, I shall govern in harmony with our nation’s democratic Constitution.

“More than that, I shall tackle this nation’s problems with a commitment to solving them,” Mr Tinubu told the clerics in Kano.