Child marriage is an acceptable culture in Northern Nigeria which made Salisu Buzu, a beggar and father of four from Kano State desire that his 16-year-old and 14-year-old girls ought to be married by now.
Buzu told Saturday Tribune during the week of how it was difficult to describe the state of poverty his family was in before he moved to Ibadan, Oyo State to start begging for alms.
He came to Ibadan about three years ago when he was encouraged by those who came before him to join them and beg.
The custom of early marriage for girls is difficult to eliminate when poverty is prevalent. Despite advocacy from different bodies for the rights of women and girls, girls in the north are married off at very young ages with little or no education or empowerment. Poverty and illiteracy are among the major causes of this setback in the region.
“I have been in Ibadan for about three years; I came here because I did not have anything to do back in Kano. While I was in Kano, I heard people say they got much alms in Ibadan and I was fast losing my strength and there was nothing I could do so I decided to come here to beg.
“Back then, I was fetching water for people, it was a hard job. Pushing water was not easy and while I was doing that, whenever I met anyone that was begging in Ibadan they would encourage me to come to Ibadan. They said I would not have to do such hard labour there especially as I was aging. They said at least I would rest from this kind of job,” he said.
He said that the raining season usually rendered him jobless because people saved water from the rain which made it difficult for his family to feed.
“It was difficult when I was still in Kano I can’t describe how terrible it was for me and my family. During the raining season, nobody bought water, they could easily save rain water for use and I would be rendered jobless. There were times that we could go two days straight without food and nothing to bring money in. Now, anything I get from begging, I send it to them immediately because I know the condition I left them in,” he said.
The father of four revealed that he was worried about his children and though they were in school, he wished for the girls to be married because he could no longer afford to pay their school as they could barely feed.
“I am worried about the children; I couldn’t sleep last night because I truly desired that both girls be in their husband’s houses by now. The oldest is 16 years while the youngest is 14 years old, once a girl gets to 15 years, she is due for marriage. It is you people that take time to get married but we don’t waste time in marrying our daughters off, even if they are not ripe for marriage, the husband and wife will manage each till she grows.
“Why I want them to get married is because I do not have the resources to see them through school. If I had the resources, I would not allow anyone marry them till they are through with their education because their generation is different from ours and they need to move with their generation but I have nothing to cater for them with, even what to feed on I have to beg for it. Is it not better they are married?
“I have four children; the two girls are in both conventional and Arabic schools while one of the boys is with one of my brothers in Katsina. I don’t know what level of school they are in. I just know they go to school and come back. I can’t say if it’s secondary or primary school. I always encourage them to study I tell them that they would understand the value in the future.
“Our parents did not send us to school. The knowledge I have now that I use to pray or read I got it from one adult school in Kano. I felt my illiteracy was too much that was why I started going there and I was able to, at least, read in Hausa,” he told Saturday Tribune.
Buzu said Ibadan had become home to him and his ‘people’ and that they could not go back to the north because their families depended on what they made in the west.
“We are visitors here but we are citizens of Nigeria. We are used to this town that no matter the situation, we cannot leave this place because this is where we get our source of livelihood and also send to our families in the North.
“As we are here, all we pray for peace with the Yorubas who host us. We did not come all the way to cause chaos because sometimes some people come to disturb us here. They ask us to leave this place and go back to Kano but this is Nigeria and it is our fundamental human rights to live in any part of the country,” he said.
He pleaded with the Oyo State government to provide accommodation for them because some of them sleep in unfavourable conditions and they are not willing to return to their home states.
“We are pleading with the government to provide accommodation for us. We have grown up children that are due for marriage but we can’t marry them off because our lives depend on what we get from this begging so we cannot even think of leaving this place. So, we need the government to help us. Some of us sleep under tables we find outside. We need a place provided by the government because with that, we are sure nobody will disturb us.” Buzu was asked if he was aware of a befitting structure built for beggars by the Oyo State Government in Akinyele Local Government Area.
He said: “I have never heard of any accommodation provided by the government and I’ve never met someone who stays there however, I cannot say it does not exist. I am just making a plea based on our needs.”
He decried the high cost of goods in the market and how increasingly difficult it was for them to feed and still send some money to their families from the alms they get.
“What we get from begging is basically luck. There are times that we come out and we have to borrow from each other in other to feed for the day and there are times that one could make up to N1,500 and it is from that little that we make saving to send something home once we have significant amounts.
“Now, things have become more difficult, prices of goods have gone up and I cannot even think of going back home to see my family. They called me yesterday and informed me that a measure of rice goes for N2,000 and I had to plead with them to manage what they have as I do my best,” he said.
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