Street begging will soon be a thing of the past in Sokoto State, Governor Aminu Tambuwal has said.
Tambuwal made this known when he inaugurated the distribution of Zakkat and endowment to the needy under the aegis of the State Zakkat and Endowment Committee.
He said, ‘’All the physically-challenged across the state, who are currently enjoying the monthly gesture of N6,500, per person, will continue to enjoy and all those who are not benefitting from the gesture will be registered and brought on board immediately.
“Afterwards, the state government will collaborate with various Islamic clerics and brainstorm on the permissibility of street begging or otherwise.’’
According to Tambuwal, the act of street begging is against the tenets of Islam, denigrates the individual, as well as soils the image and integrity of Islam.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by the District Head of Hamma’ali, Alhaji Bello Abubakar, urged wealthy individuals to assist the less privileged.
The chairman of the committee, Alhaji Lawal Maidoki, promised that it would continue to be diligent in the discharge of its activities.
The Zakkat and Endowment Committee disbursed N76.5m, being the monthly gestures in aid of the needy persons.
The money is for the free distribution of drugs to indigent patients, as well as for the payment of N6,500, monthly to nearly 7000 physically-challenged persons, among others.
Other items disbursed included 120 bags of rice and millet and N1.29m collected from some individuals as endowment.
