The House of Representatives on Wednesday said it will investigate the Abuja Rehabilitation Centre located in Bwari Area Council and the Social Protection Programmes of the Federal Capital Territory.

The lower chamber noted that if the lack of adequate funding and ineffective social protection programmes persist, street begging will remain intractable.

The House made the decision following the adoption of a motion on the “Need to Investigate the Abuja Rehabilitation Centre and the Social Protection Programmes of the FCT,” sponsored by the member representing Oshodi-Isolo 1 Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Bashiru Dawodu.

Dawodu noted that on October 22, 2024, the FCT administration declared war on street begging to restore Abuja’s image and enhance security.

He said that the majority of beggars are individuals with disabilities, with other contributing factors including Almajiri, internally displaced persons, poverty, unemployment, and cultural factors.

Noting that begging is an age-old social ill in Nigeria, the lawmaker stated that successive FCT Administrations since 2003 have declared war on beggars and used law enforcement agents to apprehend, prosecute, or repatriate them to their states.

He lamented that “the strategy has failed because it provides only a short-term solution as the beggars soon return, probably in a changed location.”

He said, “The House is aware that the Federal Capital Territory has one semi-functional rehabilitation centre in Bwari, which is underfunded and provides only suboptimal services.

“The lack of effective long-term solutions like rehabilitation, monthly survival allowances, Almajiris’ feeding, and internally displaced persons’ resettlement will result in endemic begging.”