Beggars threaten to bring down El Rufai's govt if he fails to lift ban

Beggars in Kaduna state under the aegis of Kaduna State Beggars Association have vowed to bring down Governor Nasir El Rufai's government should he fail to list the embargo on beggars in the state.

The beggars, who addressed a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, July 27, said they used their proceeds from begging to fund campaigns and rallies when El Rufai still aspired for the governorship seat, noting that if they had know he would turn his back against them, they would not have supported his ambition.

Speaking for the Association, Mallam Yahaya Makaho, a visually challenged person swore that he used his money to rally votes for the Governor.

He said, “I want to swear on my honour that I personally used my proceeds from begging to canvass for the support of El Rufai. I used my money to mobilise for his support both on the streets and where I usually teach my students. And I am not alone in my group that made that sacrifice.

“We decided to support El Rufai, because we were tired of the then Governor, (Mukhtar Ramalan Yero) who did not show any regards to our survival. We worked hard, spent money and prayed and God heard our prayers and brought down Yero.

“Now, it would appear that we made a mistake. The new governor wants to bring us down. He does not want us to live. He has chased us out of the streets and has made no alternative arrangement for our survival.

“Look, some of us here have between three and four wives and many children. How can you lock such a man, who must resort to begging because he has found himself incapable of doing any other thing?We are asking the governor to rescind this decision now or find ways to meet our basic needs.

“If he refuses to heed to this demand, we shall make sure we bring down his government. We are not going to pray that he dies, even if he wishes us so. We are not going to say that he should be impeached, because we voted him to power. What we will do is to hand him over to the Almighty God, and we know he will remove him the same way he removed the former person. We are servants of God, and he always hear our cry”, he said.

According to El Rufai, he had banned beggars and hawkers in the state because they are being used by terrorists.