KADUNA State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has reached a truce with beggars and the destitute in the state on the recent ban on street begging and hawking.

The agreement between the two parties was on the heels of the protest by beggars at the weekend over the ban, while they have also threatened to drag the government to court.

However both parties in the dispute agreed to sheath their swords, as the destitute and beggars also pledged to stop begging in the state.

The development followed the governor’s visit to the Kano Road beggars’ colony and Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre on Tuesday to strike a deal with them.

According to El-Rufai, the government has concluded arrangement to rehabilitate and train the beggars on various skills.

He argued that the interest of a group who think they have the right to beg for alms cannot override the security of over eight million people living in the state.

The governor who earlier visited the state own rehabilitation centre in Kakuri area of the state said the centre, which has the capacity to accommodate and train 500 physically challenged persons will soon be rehabilitated and used for training of the beggars affected by the recent ban.

He, however, insisted that none of them would be repatriated on the basis that they are not indigenes of Kaduna, adding that all residents in the state would be given equal opportunity under his administration.

“There is no going back on the ban on street begging, but we are not going to repatriate anybody. The problem is here and we will solve it here,” he said.

El-Rufai also promised beggars at the Kano Road Beggars Colony to acquire a land close to the place where the government will build a training centre.

Meanwhile, the leader of the beggars in the state, Mallam Abdullahi Samaila, while responding commended the governor for visiting them and promised to cooperate with him.

According to him, “it is not that we derive pleasure in begging for alms, however we will get out of the streets once the governor fulfills his promises.”

Beggars and the destitute had earlier threatened to take legal action against El-Rufai, for alleged defamation of character by branding them as terrorists, and asking them to keep away from the streets.

It would be recalled that Governor El-Rufai as part of security measures to curtail the incessant activities of terrorists in the state, after the Zaria bomb blast that killed scores of workers, announced the ban on street hawking and begging and threatened to arrest anyone found violating the order.

However, the beggars who stormed the Kaduna State Council secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the weekend to address a press conference alleged that the ban by the governor was a way of calling them terrorists, hence the need to take legal action against him for defamation and to seek redress.

While daring the governor’s order, they vowed to remain on the streets, until the government gets them gainful employment.

Speaking on behalf of the beggars, leader of the group, Malam Sambisa Gorungu, said it was unfortunate that while the government has not put in place any welfare scheme for them, a ban has been placed against begging, which is their means of livelihood.

He insisted that beggars have the constitutional right to stay wherever they wish, saying until their demands are met for government to provide employment, they would remain on the streets.

They expressed regret that after voting for Malam Nasir el-Rufai in the last election, he is paying them back with the ban on beggars in the state.

However, the beggars who came out en masse, old and young, gave three days ultimatum to the authorities to rescind its decision or risk a total protest, which they claim would cripple government activities in the state.