They know it is a time bomb ticking and ready to explode; yet, they look the other way as if nothing is amiss. And who are “They?” By “they”, I mean the authorities, you and I. We all, especially the authorities, are involved and guilty as charged.
We all are liable and accountable to the plight of the “neglected, abandoned, rejected, abused, malnourished, oppressed, depressed, suppressed, poverty-striken children that walk our streets.” While in Nigeria, we designate or call them the “Almajris”. They are referred to in other countries as street children. According to Professor Gyang Pam, “the streets are their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and everything. They are naked, unkempt, beggars and we see them as nuisance in our society. These children fending for themselves by begging, they lack love, care, shelter, comfort etc. they only know how to beg, scramble over left over foods in our restaurants, hostels, eating joints and waste bins. They carry the rubbish dish praying to get food or money from any one”
In an article titled, “The Street Children and our Future” in the COCIN Light Bearers of May 2017, Rev. Professor Gyang made reference to an earlier sermon he preached in COCIN, Garki, Abuja captioned, “Allow the little children to come to Me” from Mark 10:13-16. According to him, Jesus rebuked his disciples for trying to prevent children from coming to him and made it clear to them (disciples) that the kingdom of God belongs to the children. In the words of the professor, “You cannot love God yet neglect the child. God gives life and any child no matter his or her back ground was created by God. No child chooses his or her parents because God determines the birth, place, environment, society, etc. God owns the child. Children are precious before him. How we look at them, treat them, might determine where we might spend our eternity”.
He went on, “The Bible exhorts us that taking care of the children is our responsibility as seen in Mathew 25:31-46. These children are our ‘Jesus’ in disguise. They need food, clothes, healing balm, they need to be liberated from their prisons, they need shelter, our blessed hands, our hearts, our ears, they need somebody to speak on their behalf and knowledge that can make them have human dignity. They need a touching hand, a guide, a liberator to salvage them and our eyes to see the way forward. It is not just a little coin or our leftovers they need as they need the hook and not only the fish we give them” Professor Gyang then cautioned, “We do not sleep today because of the fear of the Boko Haram insurgents. The members of this dreaded group who appear to be undefeated as they have caused us havocs and terrorized us on daily basis are the neglected children of the yesteryears. We saw them as nonentities but today we spend more money on our security and safety by buying guns and all kinds of weapons to safeguard and protect ourselves”
Before now, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State had stated in various fora that “the hottest place in the hell fire will be reserved for the Northern elite who are living in the islands of affluence and extravagance in an unending ocean of poverty and deprivation where over 80 percent of our people are extremely poor.
Only few days back, I witnessed a pathetic scene where I saw some Almajris in Maiduguri in the survival of the fittest battle, struggling to make life out of the leftovers where the strong overpowered the weak. Then I heard a voice from one of the unlucky ones among them saying, “Allah ya’isa”, meaning ‘God will judge.’
“We take our own wards to posh private schools, abandoning the children of the poor to be used as ECOMG, Yau Kalare, Yau Touri, and sundry elements to be used during electioneering campaigns. The youths are angry and an angry man is a hungry man. We have few years, five to ten to make amends or these young ones will descend upon us”
Unsatisfactory as the handling of the Almajiris or street children has been so far, there is the need for all, especially the authorities concerned, to nib the impending danger in the bud, as the society that neglects her children today will pay dearly tomorrow, with her blood.
Only few days back, I witnessed a pathetic scene where I saw some Almajris in Maiduguri in the survival of the fittest battle, struggling to make life out of the leftovers where the strong overpowered the weak. Then I heard a voice from one of the unlucky ones among them saying, “Allah ya’isa”, meaning ‘God will judge.’ I cannot say who will not be culpable or accountable in this regard.
Without prejudice to steps hitherto taken to check this menace, providing enduring alternatives for these children is one of the major steps to conquering and defeating Boko Haram and other forms of terrorism.
Izekor, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes at thepointng.com
