NAN-H-56
Beggars
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, Sept. 14, 2016 (NAN) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said the territory’s administration would create a database for all arrested beggars and destitute.
Bello said that the beggars and destitute would be taken to the Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre, Kuchiko, in Bwari Area Council, Abuja.
He made this known when he made an unscheduled visit to the centre Thursday.
Bello said that the database would avail the FCT administration adequate information on those arrested as well as afford the government the opportunity to make adequate arrangements for their repatriation.
He directed the Social Development Secretariat of the FCT to ensure that all those arrested were captured in the database for easy reference.
He ordered the management of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the FCT Task Team on Environment to register the beggars and destitute before taking them to the rehabilitation centre.
The minister also directed the centre to commence the process of repatriating the apprehended persons in line with the extant rules to their various states of origin.
He also inspected the new borehole sunk at the centre by the FCT authorities and directed overhead tanks should be provided and installed for immediate use by the inmates.
He told the secretariat officials to ensure that the water provided at the centre was well reticulated, adding that the officers should also fix all the street lighting points to illuminate the entire environment at night.
The Principal of the centre, Mr Bala Tsoho, told the minister that 145 new beggars and destitute had just been taken in.
He said that the welfare of the inmates, especially in terms of regular feeding, had improved (NAN)
KM/DO/OPI
(Edited by David Onilede and Olisa Ifeajika)