DEVELOPING TREND? Rivers State Sends Its Destitute To Home States, Plans Another
Some Beggers in a Nigerian City
Probably following a cue from Lagos state, Nigeria’s Rivers state government has sent to their home states, some of the 113 beggars and lunatics removed from the streets of Port-Harcourt, the capital city. And the state has warned it will soon embark on another removal exercise.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Mina Jamabo, said of the 113 beggars, destitute and lunatics removed from the streets,some had been taken to the state’s rehabilitation centres for treatment. Jamabo said that non-indigenes had since been repatriated to their various states, while the indigenes would be treated by the government until they were fit to re-unite with their families. Jambo did not give the figure of the destitute sent to their home states. Mrs Stella Toby, Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Social Welfare and
Rehabilitation however unfurled government fresh plans to remove beggars and destitute from streets in the state.
She made the announcement in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday.
She said that beggars, destitute and mentally-ill people were constituting problems on some major streets and roads in the state.
Toby said the State Government had set up a special committee charged with the responsibility of restoring sanity on major areas of the state.
“Most of the beggars are from neighbouring states and I can assure you that they will be removed from the streets and repatriated back to their respective states,” she said.
A similar exercise by the Lagos State Government recently generated bad blood between Governor Raji Fashola and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State. Fashola’s government had sent home 14 rehabilitated destitute to Onitsha in Anambra state.
