In a bold and compassionate move, Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has called on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to establish dedicated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps for beggars and destitute individuals across Abuja. The lawmaker also proposed an aggressive urban security strategy involving the deployment of police personnel every 200 metres throughout the city.
Ndume made these impassioned recommendations on Wednesday during the presentation of the N1.7 trillion 2025 statutory budget for the FCT by Minister Wike to the House Committee on the FCT, at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Rejecting the heavy-handed approach of arresting street beggars, Ndume advocated for a more humane and strategic intervention to address the growing population of indigent individuals roaming the capital. He urged Wike to emulate the visionary social welfare model of the 1970s in Kano State, where authorities identified destitute citizens, housed them in camps, provided regular meals, and equipped them with vocational training.
> “The FCT is also about the indigent,” Ndume said. “For the displaced persons roaming around Abuja, it is not enough to just arrest them. What you need to do is what the Kano State Government did back in the 1970s: identify the indigent and establish a camp where they can be fed and trained, so they can be taken off the streets.”
Ndume emphasised that many of the individuals begging in Abuja’s streets are not criminals but victims of deep economic hardship, displacement, or systemic neglect. He maintained that the government must adopt a transitional support system that offers shelter, food, healthcare, and skills acquisition, enabling such individuals to regain their dignity and integrate meaningfully into society.
In a strikingly detailed security proposal, Ndume suggested the adoption of a “picketing strategy” inspired by policing tactics in Cairo, Egypt. He recommended positioning police officers every 200 metres across Abuja from 6:00 p.m. till dawn to deter criminal activity through sheer visibility and presence.
> “At every 200 metres, there should be one police officer, either sitting or standing, until morning,” Ndume stated. “That way, the mere presence of security operatives will secure the night and instill confidence among residents.”
The senator didn’t stop there. He raised concerns over the deteriorating state of medical infrastructure in the nation’s capital, particularly at the Asokoro District Hospital. He revealed that the facility currently lacks critical diagnostic equipment such as MRI and CT scan machines.
> “Even today, a patient was taken to Asokoro Hospital — they don’t have MRI or CT scan facilities. I don’t know if the Minister is aware, but if you are, I am sure you would have done something,” he remarked.
Responding to Ndume’s proposals, Minister Wike commended the lawmaker’s foresight but expressed reservations about the feasibility of such interventions under current budgetary and administrative constraints. He lamented that despite several attempts to rehabilitate street beggars, many recipients of government support often revert to begging.
> “The FCT doesn’t have the capacity to support that kind of programme,” Wike said. “Some of them, even when you support them, still come back to beg. It is not just about establishing a camp; it is about sustainable engagement and ensuring they stay off the streets.”
Despite the minister’s caution, Ndume’s suggestions have sparked conversations about the urgent need for a more compassionate and comprehensive approach to urban poverty, security, and public health in the Federal Capital Territory.
As Abuja grapples with increasing socioeconomic challenges, stakeholders are now watching closely to see whether the federal government will embrace these bold ideas—or continue with piecemeal strategies that have so far failed to deliver lasting solutions.
PIONEER NEWS 