MAIDUGURI—Borno State government has engaged 30 cripples to sweep the streets of Maiduguri, the state capital, to withdraw physically-challenged persons from street begging, according to the State Environmental Protection Agency, BOSEPA. The engagement of members of Borno Association of Cripples, BOAC, was disclosed yesterday by the Sole Administrator of BOSEPA, Nasiru Surundi, in Maiduguri, noting that soliciting for alms and begging by cripples endangers their lives on the streets, markets and motor parks. He said the agency employed 30 cripples, out of the 60 that applied for the job, at N10,000 a month. He said the street sweepers were trained for two months, after which uniforms and brooms were distributed to them. According to him, “the 2018 budget has provisions for the employment of more physically-challenged persons in skills acquisitions, so that their withdrawals from soliciting for alms and street begging can be achieved to secure their lives.” Chairman of BOAC, Alfaki Idrissa, thanked the state government for engaging his members, noting that ongoing recession had forced most able-bodied persons, particularly the ones displaced, into street begging. He called on the state government to engage more members of BOAC, that has a membership of over 3,000.
Source:Vanguard
