Physically challenged persons in Nigeria are unhappy that extreme poverty is forcing some of the physically and mentally fit to compete with them in street begging.
Alhaji Umaru Ali-Goro, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), Gombe chapter in north-east Nigeria, said on Tuesday in Gombe that the situation where normal persons have also taken to begging was worrisome.
He explained that most members of the association, including, lepers, the crippled, the blind and mental patients, who have no other source of livelihood than begging, were now competing with persons who ought to be fully employed in meaningful jobs.
“The number of givers of alms is dwindling by the day while the receivers kept increasing and most of the new entrants are the physically and mentally fit, who had no business begging for alms.
’’This development has led to a situation whereby the legitimate beggars are being short-changed because the daily proceeds kept declining by the day,” Ali-Goro said.
Ali-Goro said of particular concern was the new style of begging, called ’’KJK’’ introduced by physically and mentally able persons, which he said, had resulted in enormous pressure being piled on givers of alms.
’’The KJK style of begging involves pestering givers, especially prominent personalities, in their homes, offices and places of leisure.
“By the time such KJK beggars extract money, most often under duress from the givers, nothing is left for the legitimate beggar on the streets,’’ he said.
The Chairman also noted that the general economic hardship in the country did not help matters, as evidenced in the attitude of the givers of alms themselves.
He said the association had been trying to discourage begging but that most of their members had no alternative source of livelihood.
Source African Press Agency
