Edo to ban street begging

The Edo government says it is working on plans to begin the evacuation of street beggars in the state.

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, disclosed this on Monday while addressing Muslim faithful who were on a courtesy visit to the government house in Benin city.

He warned that anyone whose children were not in school  but found begging or trading on the streets, would be arrested and prosecuted.

Obaseki added that within the next few weeks or months, the state would no longer allow street begging.

According to him, his administration believes that basic education is the right of every child in the state.

“There are lots of farm settlements and more hands are needed to cultivate the lands,” NAN quoted him as saying.

The governor said anybody arrested for street begging would be evacuated to the farm settlements to work, adding that if the beggars do not want to work, they would be sent back to where they came from.

Earlier in his remarks, Abdulfatai Enabulele, the chief imam of Benin central mosque, commended the governor on his administration’s developmental strides.

Enabulele also urged Obaseki to take urgent steps to check the menace of street begging and trading, saying the act is capable of disturbing the peace of the state.