The evacuation of beggars and homeless people from Jembewon area, Sabo, Ibadan to the resettlement centre in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state has helped the government to solve the tripod challenge of insecurity, especially with security report about criminals that fled from the North-East hiding behind the shanties, molestation of minors as well as high unhygienic condition and likely outbreak of diseases. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports that the act has not only helped government solve various challenges, but has also given the evacuated people a better environment and new experiences.
When a convoy of over 15 long Pacesetter buses filled with people, predominantly beggars and homeless people from the North moved from Jembewon in Sabo area to the old trailer park in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state last Tuesday, the people moving to anew abode were filled with mixed feelings because many of them had spent decades in their old abode and were used to a certain way of life which made them unsure of what they will meet at the new settlement prepared by the Oyo State Government.
Indeed, many had to be convinced that the new settlement was a welfare package that is provided just for their good before they agreed to move. But the women were more open to the movement because they seem to consider more the effect of a bigger and cleaner environment on their children, especially the additional provision of three square meals a day in a safe and fenced environment.
At the end of the evacuation exercise, over 1000 people were moved to the resettlement area. And while the residents of the community continued to thank the government for its efforts at bringing sanity to the area by relocating the people whose presence in the area they believe has made the area vulnerable to disease outbreak and insecurity having become a hideout for criminals, the government on its part succeeded in solving a problem standing on a tripod with just one action.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that aside the fact that criminals have turned the point to a hiding place due to the population and lack of structure, many of the young girls have been turned into sex slaves by area boys and many others who visit the area under the shadow of night while the lack of infrastructure and basic amenities has made the entire area prone to outbreak of disease, a development that has been a source of concern to neighbouring homes and businesses.
But with the evacuation, government has created a platform to separate the beggars from the criminals and also created a chance to demolish shanties that have become hideout for criminals as well as safe house for their weapons. Also, the unhygienic situation that is a source of fear to residents has been resolved.
Confirming that the evacuation will help identify and know the number of people domiciled in the resettlement area to curb crime, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni, whose team is in charge of ensuring smooth running of the settlement and the welfare of the people stated that the former settlement has become a threat and domain for the underworld in the state, adding that “whether we like it or not, some of the people being relocated are people of the underworld even as we can see this morning that there was resistance from some who didn’t want to leave, we had to talk to them before they agreed to move and as you can see, a lot of efforts have been put in place here. Quite frankly, many of them, especially the women, wanted to come voluntarily, they had packed their things but it took time to convince some people amongst them, especially the leaders of the beggars.
“Four commissioners were there with other government officials. We had to talk to them in the language they understand and make them understand that the government is planning for their well-being, we are not just going to dump them somewhere and make them suffer. And again, you can see officials of the ministries of women affairs and environment taking their profiles, some of them are not from Nigeria and what we intend to do is accommodate them as best as we can, take care of them, do the best of profiling we can to ascertain where they are from and if they are ready, we are willing to assist them to go back to their state of origin. This is like a halfway home; the government will not take responsibility for their livelihood forever, what we want to do is a form of rehabilitation before they are settled finally,” she said.
And while many think the government just took a step that should have been taken years ago, CP Fatai Owoseni, a retired Commissioner of Police and Special Adviser on Security to Governor Seyi Makinde, who supervised the evacuation stated that what the government did is an act that borders on serving humanity, adding that, “I will look at the evacuation from the angle of humanity and meeting essential need by catering for people especially the underprivileged, by getting a place for beggars that had been living in inhuman conditions over the years. The idea to look into their situation was floated by the governor and for him, it is all about the need to evacuate them from this location in a way that they will have a sense of belonging and not make them feel ill treated and that is how the idea started
“If you look at this place, you will also see that it is not ideal to put them here, it may not be like this when they put them here and because there was a lot of pressure, the governor said they will need to be removed because it is no longer just about the beggars but also miscreants that have turned this place to a hideout. There had been intelligence reports about criminals that fled from the North-East coming to hide behind these place and all sort of atrocities, even the young girls are being molested here. So an assessment was done and it was discovered that in order to even protect the beggars, something has to be done and that is how this idea came up.
Owoseni explained further that government’s plan is to look into how their biometrics can be captured properly as there are some that said they will like to go back to their home, adding that “in the process of capturing their biometrics, we will be able to separate people who want to go back and also we will be able to separate the criminals and identify all the vices that had been happening in that place which is already like a jungle and address them.
On his part, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatubosun, who was involved in the mediation and engagement process described the exercise as a success, adding that getting little or no resistance from the people involved has laid credence to the people’s love for Governor Seyi Makinde, especially, since they have been praising him on getting to the resettlement centre.
“I am happy that the exercise which we started a few months ago ended in praises and prayers for Governor Makinde. I want to implore our people to continue their philanthropic patronage to the beggars at their new abode at the Akinyele resettlement centre and I am using this opportunity to appreciate the support we got from the Hausa community leaders who were on the ground to give the taskforce tactical support before, during and even after the people were evacuated. The efforts of Governor Makinde in running a people oriented government should be appreciated too. He is keeping to his promise that he won’t dislodge people except a better place is provided for those affected. This is why he committed a lot of resources to put up the centre with all essential amenities like modern toilet facilities, borehole and solar light apart from well ventilated dormitories with necessary furniture, clinic and feeding provision for the inmates for the take off,” Olatubosun stated.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Bayo Lawal, who was also involved in mediation stated that, “that this evacuation could happen is like a dream come true because various past governments have been giving several notices to them with the view to carrying out this kind of exercise but they couldn’t fulfill the vision but we promised to do it and we fulfilled out promise. It is an achievement that our government took them to an Eldorado environment. They were jubilating on arrival because that place is far better than where we picked them from and this is a good act on the part of this government.”
On their part, the resettled people were happy and full of hope when Nigerian Tribune visited the location. Usman Alhaji Ibrahim Midali, a representative of the Fulani community in Akinyele who was on the ground to receive the resettled people on behalf of Fulani leaders said, “this is a good development, they have been given a cleaner environment, brick houses and food three times daily. No more stress or hassles for them unlike Sabo and Mokola that is a life of stress. We thank the governor for doing this.”
A young woman, Bilkis Ayuba said the development is good because being at the new settlement is God’s plan for their lives and she expressed hope that life will now be better. Also speaking, Ibrahim Mohammed, a leader of the beggars who has lived in Sabo for 45 years commended the government for the gesture, stating that the new settlement is good, but he complained that the government did not make arrangements for families, adding that it is not good for men to live in separate buildings from their wives.
However, Hajia Aisha Ismail, president, Mata Arewa for Sustainable Development Initiative, expressed the belief that the people should be sent back home, adding that, “though government has not told us their plan, you cannot keep them in a place without skill acquisition even if you are going to feed them. I am saying that it is better they go back home; if you don’t know where you are going, you should know where you are coming from. We feel bad when we see them begging on the street and that is why I always say they should go back home, they have relatives and houses over there. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, these people were exchanging themselves, even in the north; they were exchanging almajiris, so why can’t the state government send them back home? Those that are interested, let them go, those that want to stay, let them stay and suffer,” she said.
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