Former Senator and social activist Shehu Sani has spoken out against the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike’s plan to remove beggars from the streets of Abuja. Sani expressed his views in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, stating that chasing beggars away is not a solution to the underlying issues.
“Chasing out beggars from Abuja is like hiding our sickness instead of curing it,” Sani wrote. “The Abuja beggars don’t tarnish our image; they represent our hidden images that we don’t want the world to see.”
Sani’s remarks come after Minister Wike issued a five-day ultimatum for beggars to leave the city, calling their presence a “national embarrassment.” Wike made the announcement on Tuesday during the launch of a road project in Katampe District, emphasizing that beggars must leave by Sunday or face government action.
The Minister said that the presence of beggars could pose security risks and that their removal was part of broader efforts to improve infrastructure and security in the capital.
While Wike urged families to take responsibility for their relatives engaged in begging, Sani argued that the issue requires a more thoughtful and long-term solution rather than simply moving the problem out of sight.
The FCT Administration is set to begin enforcing the directive next week.
