By Kadiri Christopher
It has been observed by The Reliance the teeming presence of beggars in some major areas of Benin City, Edo State capital.
These beggars who are usually women and children but are not physically challenged and the style of begging they adopted rages from singing beggarly and prayerful songs amidst tight closeness to their prospective givers.
In an investigation, The Reliance finds out that these beggars are serving one or more Alhajis who bring them from the northern part of Nigeria.
According to anonymous beggars around Dawson Road by Mission Road junction, "we are here to get daily bread. Anything we get from people, we remit some percentage to our oga (Alhajis) and failure to remit such percent amounts to flogging.
"Ever since we were brought to this place, we haven't seen the Alhaji anymore. We don't see him. We only meet the people sent to collect the percent.
"As for our children, we bring them along because we can't leave them in the north to suffer. Who will take care of them for us? As you can see, they are children and they can't fend for themselves. We need to bring them and they help us to generate money by going after people we think can give us alms", they said.
Investigating further, their welfare and shelter was asked about and they responded that, "we stay in one house. The house has been rented by the 'oga'. We are about eleven in one room. There's another room with about sixteen people. Both adults and babies. But we don't live in the same room with males. They have their rooms.
"We wake up very early, take our bathe, do other chores and set for the day's business because there's a minimum amount we must meet daily. Some are getting it while some are missing it.
"In the daytime, when we want to go to the toilet, some look for any secret place to excrete. Some go to public schools, if any is close by. We here, we usually go to the moat because it is closer and safer than going to that public school there (pointing at Emotan Primary at Dawson Road). Our children go behind these flowers here and excrete there.
"There are some kindhearted people who bring clothes for us. Some are Muslims and some are Christians. Some bring used clothes and some bring new ones. We appreciate them so much.
"Some of our girl children who are seeing their monthly flows don't find it easy. They usually use worn out cloth and nylon to avoid stain. Sometimes, they get help from people. But it is usually not enough.
"We feed from the money we generate. The oga commitment is to bring us from the North, give us shelter and bowl to beg. Whether we survive or not, that is not their business", they said.
Asking if they will like to get other better means of survival than begging, they said, "we can't leave this place. Our oga will kill us with charms. They will kill us and our children. They might even kill you if you take us away from them. Please, don't even think of getting us another work. We are ok with this and we are not complaining. If you want to help us, give us money, food, clothes and slippers".
Looking deeper, they whereabout of the children's fathers was quizzed and they said, "some are dead. Some have more wives, so all wives for themselves. Some children here don't even know their fathers because some women are taken to meet with some big men who sleep them and that is all. So, lot is happening and we can't explain".
These teams of beggars are now around Upper Mission Road by Constain junction, New Benin Market, Mission Road by Dawson and Iyaro junctions, Holy Cross Cathedral at Mission Road, Ring Road (which is now heavily polluted with excretions), Sokponba Road by Second East Circular junction, Akpakpava by First East Circular junction and among other major areas of the metropolis.
Some respondents in Benin City said the trend of bringing beggars and insane lessons from other states to Benin City should be looked into.
On his part, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainability, Arc Joshua Omokhodion said the government is against open defistication. He stressed that plans are on to ensure the people of the state have easy access to ease off when pressed.
According to the Honourable Commissioner, "we are already doing something towards ameliorating the stress of people in the state, especially when it comes to answering the call of nature.
"There will be public toilets in strategic areas and locations. This is to ensure the people of Edo State are put in comfort.
"We are also planning to clean up the moats. Therefore, people stop using the moats as toilet points", he said.
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