In a controversial and dehumanizing directive, Barrister Nyesom Wike ordered beggars to leave Abuja before Monday, October 28, 2024, claiming the capital city is turning into a “city of beggars.” Wike went so far as to say that the beggars would be “packed out” of the city, an expression that reduces human beings to mere objects. How can anyone refer to people, struggling under the weight of poverty, in such a dehumanizing manner? Wike also stated that their activities are embarrassing, but what is more embarrassing than a government whose policies have driven its citizens to begging?
The real question is, why are there so many beggars in the country today? The root cause lies in the government’s economic policies that is pushing people into extreme poverty. Instead of addressing the systemic issues that have created such widespread desperation, Wike is choosing to expel the beggars, but where will they go? Forcing them out of Abuja is likely to create even more security challenges than the very problems Wike claims he is trying to solve.
Furthermore, Wike’s order seems to ignore a fundamental right guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. Under Section 41(1), every Nigerian has the right to freedom of movement and residence. This means that every citizen is entitled to live and settle in any part of the country without being forced out. Instead of violating this right, the government should be working to create economic opportunities and social programs to help those in need, not marginalizing them further
I concur absolutely. Wike has inherent problems of dementia. He sleeps on the wrong side ALL the time. I only hope his boss- Tinubu will screw his loose nuts and align his focus.