Kaduna — Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has disclosed why the almajirai (street urchins) system in the North has defied solution since independence, attributing it to lack of political will on the part of government.

According to the governor, the first effort made by the defunct Northern region to address the problem of almajirai could not succeed because of the Military coup that overthrew the then government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, adding, "that was why the recommendation arrived at by the committee set up by the region did not see the light of the day."

Speaking through his Commissioner for Science and Technology, Bashir Galadanci, at the second annual symposium organised by Arewa Media Forum, the governor noted that since then other attempts at reforming the almajirai system both at the federal and state level had not been successful even as renewed efforts are being made at addressing the menace presently.

Shekarau, however, pointed out that the way forward of the prevailing scenario is for the different tiers of government to take full educational responsibility of the almajirai, as that is the only way the problem could be eradicated from the country and most especially in the north.

"The Federal Government must take a critical look at the entire system and evolve a specific policy that would directly address the problem of the system. In particular this policy must recognise the Tsangaya system for what it is; an educational system that has been in existence for ages, to a large extent unchanged, and it is still the preferred choice of millions of Muslim parents for their children.

"Needless to say, the state and the local government are the primary implementers of the educational policy in their domains and they are therefore the principal actors in ensuring that the tsangaya system is properly transformed and appropriately situated within the overall educational system.