Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, today cautioned the federal and state governments against banning the Almajiri system of education.
This is even as the cleric declared that the Almajiris have their constitutional right to practice their religion without any hindrance.
Speaking today at the end of a meeting of Tsangaya school proprietors, Sheikh Bauchi made a case for Almajiris to be allowed to continue with their Qur’anic education under their respective teachers.
This, according to him, is because the Almajiri, like any other Nigerian citizen, has the right not only to practice their religion but also reside wherever they want in the country as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He declared that the Tsangaya teachers would not tolerate their rights being violated by banning the Almajiri system of education and evacuation of Almajiris from one place to another.
“We are Nigerians and have rights under the laws of the land to live wherever we want to live and to practice our religion.
“Also, Qur’anic pupils and their teachers have these rights and henceforth we will not accept violations of their rights in the name of banning Almajiri system of education.
Sheikh Bauchi stated that no Almajiri has ever gone to the house of any of the Northern State governors to beg for food, declaring that the pupils only beg for their food in the communities where they reside.
