Senator Ali Ndume has advised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to provide a transitional support system for those affected by the issue of street begging and homelessness in Abuja.
He asserted that it was not enough to simply arrest the displaced people but also provide a support system.
Ndume made this suggestion on Wednesday when Wike presented a ₦1.7 trillion 2025 statutory budget to the National Assembly on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
Drawing inspiration from historical social welfare models, Ndume cited the example of Kano State in the 1970s, where vulnerable populations were identified, housed, provided with meals, and trained in vocational skills to foster economic empowerment.
Ndume said, “The FCT is also about the indigent. For the displaced people roaming around Abuja, it is not enough just to arrest them. What you need to do is what the Kano State Government did in the 1970s, identify the indigent and establish camps where they can be fed and trained so they can be taken off the streets.”
He proposed a transitional support system that includes shelter, food, healthcare, and skills acquisition as a long-term strategy to reintegrate the less privileged into society and eliminate the causes of street begging.
In addition to his social welfare recommendation, Senator Ndume also proposed a new security strategy for Abuja to curb the rising rate of crime.
He recommended adopting a “picketing” method similar to one reportedly used in Cairo, Egypt, where police officers are stationed at 200-meter intervals throughout the city from 6:00 p.m. to dawn
“At every 200 meters, there should be one police officer either sitting or standing there until morning. That way, the mere presence of the police secures the night,” he said.