Oyo Government Evacuates Beggars, Destitute to Resettlement Center

The government of Oyo State has commenced the evacuation of beggars, street-urchins and the destitute from the shanties on Jemibewon Road, Sabo area of Ibadan, the state capital, to a newly built Akinyele Resettlement Centre, Ibadan.

 

Clarifying the reasons for the evacuation to the new facility, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni, while speaking with journalists at the premises of the new location, stated that the relocation was to ensure that the well-being of the evacuees is catered to.

 

Sanni said: “This effort, as you can see, has been going on for some time. It is not just as if we went to where you saw us this morning at Sabo and bumped into the people. We have met several times with the Hausa community. Our last meeting was last Friday and we were with them up till about 8 p.m., to sensitize them on the activities of the government concerning the relocation of the destitute, beggars and street urchins in Oyo State.”

 

She noted that the government would not just dump them at the centre and make them suffer, explaining that the new facility is better than what they had, as kitchens, cooks, foodstuffs, mattresses, mats, toilets, washing places and other household materials, available in average Nigerian homes, are at the centre to aid their living.

 

Sanni pointed out that officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Ministry of Environment were on the ground to take the profiles and bio-data, because some of them are not Nigerians.

 

He said the government would take care of them temporarily by first of all accommodating them as best as it could till they are finally settled and assist them to go back to their states of origin, if they are ready.

 

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, said the evacuation exercise was not meant to dislodge the destitute but to provide a better living condition for them at the new location.

 

Olatubosun acknowledged the support of Hausa community leaders, who were on the ground to give the task force tactical support before, during and after the exercise, imploring the philanthropic residents to continue to patronise the beggars in their new abode at the Akinyele Resettlement Centre.

 

According to Olatubosun, Governor Makinde is keeping to his promise that he “won’t dislodge the people unless a better place is provided for those affected and that is why he committed a lot of resources to put up the center with all essential amenities like good modern toilet facilities, potable water, solar lights as well as well-ventilated dormitories with mattresses, a clinic, and feeding for the inmates for the take-off, just to mention a few.”

 

Similarly, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Bayo Lawal, hailed the government for taking the bull by the horns, having successfully evacuated the beggars to “a good environment.”

 

He said: “We see this as a dream coming true because past governments have been making several promises to move them to another site but could not fulfill the promises. But we promised and fulfilled. So, it is an achievement as far as our government is concerned.” 

 

The evacuation process, which started months ago, formally commenced at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, with fully loaded Pacesetter luxury buses.

 

The buses were seen evacuating the people from the shanty on Jemibewon road to the new center.

 

Other government functionaries who witnessed the event include, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Bayo Lawal, the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Security Trust Fund, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd) who is equally the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the governor; the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, and a host of others.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim