President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday asked state governors to live up to their responsibilities by addressing social menace, including the Almajiri system in the North.
Buhari noted that social issues, including the break down of family ties, divorce and the attendant effects on children were matters the states could handle.
Buhari spoke at the opening of the National Conference for Repositioning the Muslim Family for National Development in Abuja organised by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in conjunction with Future Assured, a pet project of the President’s wife, Aisha Buhari.
Buhari recalled that his regime had given bailouts to the states since 2015 to address local challenges in their individual domains, adding that the money should be put to such use.
The President said, “Most of the challenges affecting the family are within the mandates and the jurisdictions of state governments. In compliance with constitutional stipulations and provisions, we gave bailout to them to assist them in discharging these obligations and statutory mandates.
“It is our expectation that state governments will rise up to these challenges and do their own part in this social degeneration.”
On her part, Aisha stated that social problems like the Almajiri system had worsened because of non-compliance with existing laws and policies.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, called for the arrest of parents who send out their children to beg for alms as against going to school.
In the same vein, the Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III called on the president to give marching orders to governors to implement high-level solutions provided at the conference.
