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Thursday 16 June 2016

Osun Hijab Crisis: Security Beef-Up At Baptist Girls High School

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There was heavy presence of security operatives at Baptist Girls High School in Osogbo where the secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) was located ahead of the joint prayer session organised by the body in the state.
The crisis trailing the court judgment, which permits the use of hijab by Muslim female students in Osun State public schools, might not end soon.
Osun State chapter of CAN has said it would not rescind its directive to its pupils to be wearing choir robes and church garments to schools, if the judgment is implemented.
Pastor Moses Ogundeji, Vice Chairman of CAN in the state, stated this while addressing journalists at a prayer session held at the Dominion Hall of Osun Baptist Conference, Gbodofon, Osogbo, the state capital.
The prayer which was organised by Reverend Dr. Elisha Ogundiya, the state CAN chairman, and presided over by his vice, Pastor Moses Adedeji Ogundeji, said that the prayer is meant to reject court ruling on hijab and other islamisation plot in the state.
He added that the prayer is also meant to seek peace from God and to nullify anti-kingdom laws and dealings with satanic forces that are tormenting the state for the past few weeks.
The Christian leader who also called for the return of mission schools to the original owners said, “We don’t want crisis in Osun because of hijab issue. Already, the state is being oppressed by the demonic spirit and evils as well as the country at large.”
He contended that inasmuch as we are trying to resolve the crisis with prayer, if Government should expel any Christian pupil or student, it means all the students in public schools would be sent packing.
Pastor Ogundeji, however, noted that the prayer would ensure that the Osun State is delivered from the power of satanic forces and oppressors, adding that all powers that set to destroy Osun State would be destroyed by God.
“The country has no rest from the hands of Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers and Bororo herdsmen. Therefore let there be peace in Osun and let the state be free from the shackles of evil and oppression,” he said.
However, the CAN vice chairman described the presence of security personnel around the prayer venue as an embarrassment.
Pastor Ogundeji said although, the judgment would be appealed, Christian pupils would continue to wear church clothes to their various schools, not minding the state governor’s warning to expel them.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola had on Wednesday warned that any student found wearing unauthorised cloth to school would be sanctioned, advising CAN to pursue its cause legally.
Elsewhere in the state, it took the intervention of the Oluwo Iwo, Oba Abdul Rasheed Akanbi to avert crisis when CAN mobilised its members to Baptist High School, Adeeke Iwo, to ensure Christian pupils in garments and robes were not denied entrance, by security operatives who besieged the school.
My question remains, what is the contribution of hijab to the academic performance or improve of the muslim students and for the many years preceding Aregbesola's reign why hadn't hijab wearing being an issue? When people in government have failed to deliver on their mandate, they always get involved in non essentials to derail the focus and anger of the people. That is what I see in Osun.- Blogger




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