Groups Begin Profiling Of Beggers In PH

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and an NGO, Daughters of Charity have commenced the profiling of chronically ill people begging along major roads in Port Harcourt.
The Rivers Coordinator of NOA, Mr Oliver Wolugbom told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the exercise was to generate a data base of chronically ill persons indulging in some organised begging.
According to him, such ill persons make the public feel that their major reason for begging is to generate funds to access medical treatment.
“We see them every day, some have tumours, cancers, internal organ damage, blindness, and so on; they seek for alms from members of the public.
“We have observed that many of them remain on the roads for several months without even getting treated,’’ he said.
Wolugbom said that the process of availing them medical treatment would be explored after their profile had been generated.
“We will also explore ways of providing them skills after the treatment so that they can be self-reliant and stay off the roads,’’ he said.
Some of the sick people who spoke to newsmen on conditions of anonymity expressed shock that their plights could be felt by any public institution.
They thanked NOA and the Daughters of Charity for the move and urged them to make good their promise of helping to solve their medical issues.