Governor Raugh Aregbesola’s move to Islamise Osun State education system
met with stiff resistance from Christians especially missionary schools,
who ordered their wards and students to go to school in choir robes and
rain coats.
The development followed an earlier court judgement authorising female
muslim students to attend lectures dorning hijab in missionary schools
other than the approved school uniforms.
Students of secondary schools in the state showed up in school on Tuesday
dressed in choir robes, rain coats and hijabs which did not attract any
sanctions from the school authorities who are also caught up in the
religious divide.
Governor Rauph Aregbesola, a muslim, has, however, warned against students
dressing up in unauthorised uniforms. He threatened to expel students
involved in such practice.
But students of Baptist High School, Iwo, exchanged banters and hailed
each other for coming to school in different religious garments and
maintained cordial relationship with each other.
Governor Aregbesola, who spoke during the commissioning of St. Michaels
Government Middle School, Ibokun, said it was wrong for a section of
people to have directed some innocent students to wear choir robes to
school against a court judgment.
“Government is not interested in any religion as being speculated. My goal
is to improve education standard in the state”, he said.
But the Osun State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
recently accused Governor Aregbesola of planning to islamise the state by
adopting the use of hijab as an instrument.
Chairman of its youth wing, Mr Owo-Ofe Nicholas, said it would resist
Aregbesola’s agenda to islamise the state.
“We believe this is the process of Aregbesola Islamisation agenda in the
state which was earlier stated in 2012 by the Directorate of Military
Intelligence and corroborated by OS-CAN in 2014. The Christian youths will
oppose this dubious agenda.
“Justice Falola’s judgement 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.
“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, Civil
Defence to advice the state 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
National Inter-Religions Council (NIREC) agreement of 2014.
“Should the State government decide to implement the judgement, the State
YOWICAN will mobilise and instruct all our YOUTHS in different Blocs and
schools to start wearing their Christian garments as part of their school
uniform for propagation of our faith.
“We are using this medium to ask Osun State Government not to implement
the judgement of Justice Saka Jide Falola which he delivered on Friday 3rd
June, 2016 that muslim female pupils in all public schools should be
allowed to wear hijab to schools without any harassment or molestation”,
he said.