Beggars or muggers?

I have never been contented with what the Lagos state government is doing. I have always said it to whoever wants to hear that we can get much more from governance.

When the state government decided to pick on beggars, I was wary about it, thereafter, I was against it when I realized some of them were been deported to their states of origin. I don’t believe a citizen of our country needs a visa to enter any part of the country, nor can anyone be banned or deported from any state.

Until recently I had nothing against the beggars. I was taking a walk to recharge my phone when I met this average age lady with two kids begging for alms. I had just enough to recharge my phone and despite that, I have come to recognize her to come to that particular spot often. A fortunate day, I will call it because I got to see another part of them. I was alone on the street at that time of the day with the lady and her kids on the other side of the road begging me for money. As I walked by without responding, I never knew I had committed an offence. She rained curses on me for not giving her alms. Haba! Na by force! Till date, I haven’t come across her again.

Before this incident I had one with another set of elderly women. Three of them approached me for money. They said they came to visit someone and they did not know they will spend so much on transport and they did not meet who they came to visit thus they were stuck. I gave them some money which I thought should be enough to take them back home according to where they told me they were coming from. You won’t believe I met these women again somewhere else about two to three hours later not en-route their destination but still begging for alms.

I have heard different stories of these so called beggars. Imagine a well-dressed guy approaches you for transport fare because he lost his wallet and you meet the same guy at the same spot the next day still begging and telling same story.

I can’t help but sit down to do the calculation. If a person with soft heart gives such person N200 and he gets an average of N200 from ten people a day. That is N2,000! N2,000 for a week and month is more than N 50,000 naira! That’s far more than the minimum wage. Tell me how such person will want to get a regular job or engage in any craft. Begging is sure a full time job.

I am not writing this to dissuade you from giving alms, just want each and every one of us should think before giving out