An NGO, Hope Foundation has alerted Kano State Government on the gradual return of street beggars, saying the Coronavirus pandemic is not over in the country.
Hafsat Bello, the Deputy Coordinator of the organisation, gave the advice on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano.
She described the increase in the number of beggars on major roads in Kano as worrisome, adding that they neither observe social distancing nor any other COVID-19 safety guidelines.
“To be frank the government needs to be proactive and enforce its regulations as well as provide them with relief materials to enable them stay at a place.
“They pose as threat to themselves and motorists as well as pedestrians, because they are found everywhere.”
Bello added that their return could defeat the efforts of the government in fighting the spread of the virus in the state.
She also called on the government to check the health status of the beggars.
Bello disclosed that the foundation had embarked on advocacy programme to the beggars, aimed at safeguarding their health status.
“We have distributed over 5, 000 facemasks to street beggars, yet some of them do not utilise it all the time as required.”
NAN observed that street beggars have fully returned to the streets of Kano and rarely use facemasks thus posing hazards to themselves and others.
NAN
