On ‘repackaged’ begging

NIGERIANS are daily faced with economic struggles. Begging is one result of the high rate of poverty in the land. It affects all the 36 states of the federation.

Begging can be described at various forms of activities aimed at getting help, mostly financially, from others. Sadly, children are engaged in begging.

The act of begging is open and those involved seems to have nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. Beggars are seen on roads, mostly highways or very busy roads.

Children from poor families form groups of twos or threes  or even more and go from car to car on the highways soliciting for alms.

Some not only ask or take alms: they collect even food materials, whether cooked,  uncooked or left over.

Some even do petty jobs and carry loads for people but still go back tobegging due to the insufficiency of the money they make.

Recently, due to the state of the nation’s economy, more people have ventured intobegging. But they have redefined and repackaged it.

These set of people dress up very nicely and walk up to you, then tender one excuse or the other just to ensure that you give them something.

Others show up as ‘men of God’ and claim to see something pertaining to you, aiming to extort money from you.

I am using this medium to call on well-meaning individuals to help out in reasonable ways to decrease the high rate of begging.

Also, the government should generate employment so that some of these people will get good jobs and quit begging. There should be rehabilitation centers for the children involved in begging.

Oduola Kayode

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