The members of the Lagos State House of Assembly discussed the proposal for a new law aimed at addressing the issue of street begging throughout the state.
According to The PUNCH, the lawmakers discussed this during their plenary session on Tuesday.
It was reported that this potential law, if enacted, would not only target street beggars but also impose penalties on residents who encourage or give alms to them. The lawmakers highlighted concerns about criminal elements disguising themselves as beggars and becoming a prevalent issue on the streets of the state.
In response to a motion presented by Abiodun Orekoya and fellow legislators, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, acknowledged that street begging has become a growing problem in the state. He mentioned that previous administrations had made efforts to address this issue, but it still persists.
Therefore, there is a consensus on the need for a new law that would classify street begging as a criminal activity and impose sanctions on individuals providing monetary support to beggars on the streets.
Obasa stated,“When we address the source, then we can curb it. When you go on the road, you find children within the ages of five and six begging. It means there are established groups of people benefitting from this. They warehouse and provide for them
“Beyond the Child Rights Law, we should come up with another law that speaks to begging and giving. We must come up with genuine laws and institutions that handle begging.”
The Speaker suggested that the proposed law should focus on creating a designated center where individuals interested in giving alms can contribute, with the center responsible for ensuring that these contributions effectively reach those in need.
“The law will create a fund to be managed by people with integrity so that if you are in need, you would go there,” he said.
He mentioned that this approach would enable people to fulfill their religious obligations regarding almsgiving while simultaneously tackling street begging, lowering street-based crime rates, and encouraging a higher level of responsibility among the local population.
