From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria, Osun State (YOWICAN-OS) has urged security agencies, including the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Civil Defence to call Governor Rauf Aregesola to order over wearing of hijab by female students in public schools.
The CAN youths also warned the governor not to implement the judgment of Justice Saka Jide Falola delivered on June 3, which now allows wearing of hijab by female students during schools hours without harassment or molestation.
Chairman of the association, Nicholas Owo-Ofe, who made the call at a press briefing in Osogbo, yesterday, warned against the security implications of the judgment and added that if not nipped in the bud, the controversy might degenerate to serious crisis between Muslim and Christian communities in the state.
Owo-Ofe also warned that if government went ahead to implement the judgment, the association would also instruct female Christian students to wear church garments to schools to also propagate their religion.
He stressed that if hijab must be used at all, it must not be extended to schools owned by Christian missionaries.
The association also accused Aregbesola of hiding under the pretext of use of hijab by Muslim female students to actualize his agenda to Islamise the state.
“Justice Falola’s judgment is simply a violation of religious rights of the original owners of Christian missionary schools as agreed upon when the schools were taken over by Oyo State Government in 1975…” the statement read in part.
“Also, we believe this is the agenda of Aregbesola to Islamise the state which was earlier stated in 2012 by the Directorate of Military Intelligence and corroborated by OS-CAN in 2014. The Christian youth will oppose this dubious agenda. “Implementing the judgment will show the whole world that Aregbesola-led administration is trying to disturb the peace that the state is enjoying.
“We want to call on all the security operatives, DSS, police, and civil defence to advise the government accordingly on the security implication of implementing such judgment.
“We will like to emphasise that we are not challenging the right of Muslim students to wear hijab for the propagation of Islam in public schools. What we are saying is that this should not be extended to schools that are originally owned by Christian missions as contained in the Osun State NIREC agreement of 2014.
“Should the state government decide to implement the judgment, the state YOWICAN will mobilise and instruct all our youths in different blocs and schools to start wearing their Christian garments and vestments as part of their school uniform for propagation of our faith.
“Osun State Government should take note. A word is enough for the virtuous.”
That is good observation, the Government or Governor must not violate the constitutional rights of the citizens with attempt of religiosity and religious favoritism as Aregbesola has attempted!
I wonder why Aregbesola would want to pollute the religious serenity that exists in the west for long, unlike the north.What has he to gain by implimentating the so called judgement on wearing of hijab.Since Nigeria is a secular state, no one should dress in a way to show sympathy for a particular religion ,government and school authorities have right to mode of dressing of their students except those who are attending missionary schools that deal on designated discipline.Aregbesola should avoid stirring the honet knest.Such arrant display of extremism has no place in the west and all yoruba land,he should try up north.