Former Nigeria Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, has called for affordable and accessible education for the vulnerable in the society.

Shittu made the call on Wednesday at a two-day International Peace, Unity and Nation Building Conference in Abuja.

Shittu, speaking as a discussant, said that accessible education would reduce the number of beggars on the streets and serves as empowerment for them to contribute their quota to nation building.

“Each time I go to the mosque on Friday and after prayers, I see many beggars of which many of them are able bodied

“I do asked myself, why has it been impossible for states government to make education accessible and provide skills for them so that they too can make contributions to national growth and development.

“I want to believe that not all beggars are really disabled. I believe it is the lack of care, the lack of appropriate response to human growth that has caused what we do now.

“I am aware, a lot of people are scared to discuss this issue, but we as Nigerians must face the challenges to get more people on board.

“There must not be too many consumers, without people enabled to make contributions to national building.

“I want to use this as a clarion call on our governments that education must be made available at all levels.

“I don’t want to use the word compulsory because people will read meaning to it.

“One of our political leaders once said that if we fail to educate the children of the poor, they would make it impossible for our children to sleep with their two eyes closed.”

Shittu urged all traditional and religious leaders to take it as a challenge in making education and skills available to the less privileged.

The Emir of Keffi, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibrin, who was also a discussant, stressed the need for government to empower traditional rulers for intelligence gathering.

Jubrin identified lack of fund and lack of constitutional role as part of the factors affecting traditional rulers in making their contributions to national development and peace building.

Another discussant and former Governor of Niger State, Dr Muazu Babangida, called for measures to end insecurity as it affected education in the country.

“Before, we begged children in the North to go to school, today they are going to school and they are being kidnapped to demand for ransom. I think this should be looked into.

Babangida urged all citizens to see themselves as role models for building good leaders and peaceful nation.

He also called for the recruitment of more security personnel to secure the country.

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“Nigeria with population of over 200 million people still need more police officers to make its personnel available in every part of the country for peace.”

The Conference had the theme: “Building a Better and Stronger Africa and Nigeria through Peaceful Co-existence, Unity and Intellectual Engagement”.

It was organised by Stantall Africa Initiative, in collaboration with Kabiru Gombe Centre for Religious Diversity and Peace Studies.