The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected calls to create a camp for beggars in Abuja so as to take them off the streets.

The call was made by Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South Constituency when Wike appeared before the Senate to defend the FCT budget.

According to Ndume, the FCT should provide the beggars with food and training, similar to initiatives in Kano and other states, rather than simply arresting them.

"Because before somebody comes to the street to beg, it means he has nothing to eat. But if he can create a camp that would provide such facilities, train them and then take them off the streets through that transitional method, it's better," he added.

In response, Wike reminded the Senate that the FCT should not be expected to operate in the same manner as states because the parameters are different.

Clarifying his point, he stated that states running such programmes do so because it is their indigenes who benefit from it, unlike the FCT, which has many Nigerians from all over residing in it..

"Those you are talking about are not indigenes. People come from everywhere to take over the whole of the FCT. There are those who believe that they will continue to beg. That is the truth of the matter, and we must tell ourselves the truth. A city like the FCT, where you have all the international bodies, it will be difficult for us to follow that kind of pattern. We don't have land for us to say let's give them an area and train them to do a job. The FCT cannot handle that. Let the truth be told," Wike said.

ASA