Northern Governors Forum has said it will move on with the plan to end the Almajiri system in the region.

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, made this disclosure on Wednesday at an interview while explaining the repatriation process saying part of the concluded measures to end the system was to ensure every child returned to their states of origin and that out of 169 almajiris brought back to the state, 65 have tested positive to the COVID-19 infection. Another measure is to look in to a law that makes the system a prohibition.

“In particular, the situation in Kano is such that if these children were not brought to us, they would simply have died in Kano. Some of them would survive the disease but the situation in Kano is overwhelming, I don’t think anyone would remember to look out for almajiris so, we’re happy to receive them from every part of Nigeria.

“But what the northern governors’ forum is determined to do, is to end this system once and for all because it has not worked for our part of the country and we are determined to end it once and for all. We are ready to face anyone that wants to confront us on this matter,”.

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Emphasising that the decision was as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor El-Rufai said the plan had been on ground and the outbreak only served as a catalyst.

“Today, we reviewed a law that would formally prohibit this system. We are not just abolishing the system, we are telling the parents of the children that they must go to school when schools re-open and we have tracked each and every one of the parents and counsel them on parental responsibility.

“It is a long process, but the children will go to school. They must go to school at least in Kaduna State, I can assure you of that,”