The Oyo State Government in the UK has arrested 32 suspected street beggars in Ibadan metropolis for allegedly violating the law prohibiting street begging in the state. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs. Toyin Balogun, made this announcement at the Akinyele Resettlement Center, Ibadan, where the beggars were accommodated. According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the suspects were apprehended during a special raid conducted by officers of the Ministry of Women Affairs and security agents in the metropolis.
Mrs. Balogun expressed the state government’s disapproval of the menace, considering it an eyesore in society. She emphasized that street begging not only mars the beauty of the roads but also poses a high risk to the beggars’ lives, as they could be endangered by speeding vehicles. Stressing that begging on the streets of Oyo State is a crime, she explained that the government is focused on making the Resettlement Center at Akinyele more conducive for the beggars. The plan includes providing them with food and offering vocational training in simple yet profitable crafts for their livelihood.
In a related development, the Oyo State Government has pledged to eradicate street begging permanently. The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, made this declaration during a tour of the Egbeda Local Government Area. He encountered a suspected “coordinator of beggars” who transported beggars from the Northern part of the country to the state and urged them to cease such activities.
Mogbonjubola described the beggars’ infiltration and convergence within the metropolis as contrary to the provisions and policies of the state government. He asserted that street beggars who fail to utilize the accommodation provided for them in Moniya, Akinyele Local Government Area, would be relocated to their home state. The Commissioner emphasized that necessary arrangements have been made with the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs. Balogun, and assured that individuals involved in bringing beggars to the state would be apprehended and prosecuted. He reiterated the commitment of Governor Makinde’s administration to create an ideal, safe environment for all.
Quest: Emmanuel kelvin