Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, and the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state appeared to be on a collision course on Thursday following the invitation of parents of pupils of the Baptist High School, Iwo, who wore various religious garments to the school.
The governor in a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, invited the parents of some pupils found to have taken part in the drama to a meeting in Osogbo.
The statement reads in part, “Preliminary investigations reveal that 92 out of the 2,500 student population in that school were involved in a protest over the wearing of hijab.
“In view of the development, the government has therefore invited parents of the 92 students involved in the protest for a meeting at 4pm on Friday in Osogbo with a view to finding a lasting solution to the issues.
“The government also wishes to state that a panel of inquiry is to be constituted to investigate the remote and immediate cause of the perennial disturbance at the Baptist High School, Iwo.
“The panel is to comprise representatives of the relevant organisations such as the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Schools; the Nigeria Union of Teachers; Parent Teacher Association and community leaders, with the officials of the Ministry of Education.”
But the state Chairman of CAN, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, asked the affected parents to shun the invitation.
Ogundiya, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said the governor ought to have invited CAN and other religious bodies, being stakeholders to the meeting instead of seeking to intimidate the parents.
Ogundiya said, “The parents invited should not attend the meeting. The government is supposed to have invited religious bodies instead of the parents. Christian children will continue to wear anything they like to the school as long as Muslim pupils continue to wear hijab.”
The Osun Baptist Conference has also asked parents of the affected students to shun the meeting, saying Christian pupils would continue to wear choir robes and various dresses to school as long as Muslim students did not stop wearing hijab to schools founded by Christians.
The President of OBC, Rev. Paul Kolawole, said this in a communique issued at the end of the executive committee of the conference on Thursday.
The communique reads in part, “That the Baptist community in Osun State and Iwo community is vehemently opposed to the use of hijab in the Baptist High School, Iwo.
“That no parent or student should be invited to Osogbo under any guise to intimidate the parents and their wards. If there is any information to pass, it should be sent through the normal channel such as the school authority or the Parent Teacher Association.
“That in view of our observation that the wearing of hijab in the Baptist High School appears to have the backing of the state government, we hereby also authorise and mandate all our Christian students to wear their religious garments.
“That the Tutor-General and officials of the Ministry of Education should stop intimidating students and their parents.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Why is Aregbesola trying to Bring Boko Haram to the west? is this part of the agenda of APC...to islamitise the west? Baptist High School is a christion school and nothing can change that!
ReplyDeleteY is it that when we see the truth we don't say it the way it is? As a saying goes when U go to rome behave like d romanc. D government know the cost Y r dey betten about d bush.... GOD is WASHING ooooooo
ReplyDeleteThis shouldn't av degenerated to this had CAN put on their thinking cap. if i attend a baptist school does that mean i must become a christian or a baptist member? please CAN, Baptist conference and christian community of iwo plant sentiment in this kids
ReplyDeleteIs CAN trying to set up a parallel Govt for Osun, They should be reminded that we have many religions not only Christianity.
ReplyDeleteWhy also these hullabaloo over little things. There should be a school UNIFORM which every pupil MUST wear and not a religious wear. Nigeria is a secular state nd nobody or group shud try to Islamize or Christianize it. Religious wears shud be reserved for church worships in church or mosques as d case maybe.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why parents and so called religious leaders behave in this manner,what is wrong in a muslim attending a baptist school?xtians attend ansar ud deen and other muslim schools,they should rather train their wards to co habit with others from religions different from there's,they should remember that child upbringing begins in the home,there's little the school can do,if they don't desist their children will grow up to see others that are not xtian as their enemies and that's very bad for our society.we can learn from the menace of boko haram.
ReplyDeleteYour reply is myopic as you clearly ignore the issue at hand:The Christian schooling in moslem school will never put on religious garment to school why then are the innocent moslem girls are made to wear Hijab to a school founded by Baptise church?
DeleteThe question is why would you allow religious attires such as Hijab to be worn to school? There should be level playing field here. No student should wear any cloth or covering identified with any religion be it Christians or Muslems. They should wear only their approved Government school uniform. A situation where some students are allowed to come to school with Hijab while other religions are shelved away from similar identity especially in a school founded by Christians is provocative and an outright marginalisation of their rights in a civil society. The solution is simple: Issue a law to stop the use of any religious clothes or covering to school except their government approved school uniform. sekinah!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is an outright misplacement of priority on the part of the state government headed by Ogbeni Aregbesola, we all know that there were governors before Ogbeni and there will still be governor (s) after him .Akande was once a governor and a devoted muslim also Oyinlola was once a governor and a devoted xtian. There has never being a religion chaos in the state (Ogbeni ,history will sooner or later revisit your activities) Y is he initiating an anti-people's policy? Y is he laying a disastrous legacy for heavenly sake? Y is he seems to be adamant and Obdurate to the people he governs?At this junction I think it is wise to make a findings towards Mr. Aregbesola activities during his school days to know how religion Obsessive he was then. I vehemently believe that the so called NEW EDUCATIONAL POLICY under the leadership of Ogbeni is for the people and if the people say NO why not review,and reevaluate the so called policy and make necessary adjustment? Y imposing it on the innocent citizens who fought,and many sacrificed their lives before you came to being? Has he forgotten it so soon?Is this what APC HAVE TO DELIVER IN THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL THEY ARE STRIVING TO CLAIM? .Government in any nation is a machinery through which the will of the people( masses) is being expressed . If perhaps what and all the opposition party APC have for Nigerians citizenry, I think it is rational to taut with a known devil (PDP) which is better than an unknown angel (APC)
ReplyDeleteJust as u said, it is a clear case of misplaced priority or at best, an hidding agenda by Aregbe. In all sincerity, Aregbesola is the cause of this brouhaha in osun public schools. I had asked several times, a simple question which has remained unanswered, when these muslim female students were not wearing hijabs to schools, were they discreminated againt? I was born and schooled to MBA level in osun state and religious sentiments had never been heard utill Ogbeni's time.
Deletei know that there is no muslim school that will take this madness osun govt are doing.this is baptist school and the Osun govt didn't see anything wrong wearing hijab to Christian school.osun govt can just tell all pupils to stop any form of religious cloth but put on basic school uniform thats the only solution to the issue.
ReplyDeleteOlu or wht ever is name is u r senseless,illmanner instead of u to use ur thinking faculty to talk an go straight to wht dey r talking abt am sure u dnt attend any sch atall, pls pave way let educated elite talk here wi dnt wnt people half bake education lik u to comment here, hijab to sch afterall d sch ve cap y nt d cap ogbeni aregbesola ds ur religion is taking u to know where, dere is no reliion in heaven
ReplyDeleteI have been watching this scenario for a while now, and i seriously believe it will get to this level. How can the governor bring out a policy that merged a christian school with a muslim school? This is absurd, for God's sake knowing fully well how volatile religous issues turn out to be in this country. What arethe benefits of this policy to the students and their parents? If the answer is no, why looking for trouble in a peaceful state? why not merge christian schools together and muslims schools seperately if it is a MUST to merge. 2015 is around the corner, a word is enough for the wise!
ReplyDeleteAPC is islamic brotherhood party, please beware of them
ReplyDeleteI think some folks grossly miss the point here. Muslims are permitted to attend Christian founded schools so that's not at all the bone of contention. However, in the ansa urdeen Islamic schools, I don't think Christians go further to distinguish their selves with choir robes. If so, why would Muslims come to a Christian founded school and seek to wear hijabs? Why not save that for public schools or neutral secondary schools in osun? Is baptist the only school in the state? These are all calculated mischief insteadpof focusing on good governance and per
ReplyDeletehaps your reelection Mr governor. God bless nigeria
I wonder while this should be problem.
ReplyDeleteIn the west we have Ansar-Ud-Deen, Anwaru-Deen, Nawaru-deen, Amardiya etc that are established and being founded by muslims while the christian students over there do as Christian religion demands. Honestly, I have not heard this before and never emerging it could happen in the west because westerners are more civilized and see religion as an individual's belief but not as other regions of the country perceive it.
Many families have christian as husband and Muslim as a wife and vice-versa. Fashola is a Muslim and his wife is a christian; Tinubu is a Muslim while his wife is a christian and vice-versa that is how the live is over there.
This unwanted attitude should be prevented from causing mayhem in the state though, I don't know if someone is behind such and obnoxious act.
If Aregbesola want war, he will get war. He is a fanatic period.
ReplyDeleteI implore u all to go read this poem"the cold within".And u wuld see why u all are acting d way u all are acting......phlashes
ReplyDeleteWhat about d children of Juju worshippers? Should they tie charms on their waist and neck and carry tortoise on their chest and calabash on their head to school because they must display what is nt necessary? Let the females wear beret simple, that also covers the head.
ReplyDeleteOgbeni Rauf! I think this needs God intervention and prayer, may he guide you and put you through. Amin. Are the aggrieved students fighting the Hijab or the Muslims? Because this could have been reported to appropriate quarters before this step that can put Osun State in an unpleasant position.
ReplyDeleteLet christians visit the constitutional provision of right to religion so that they would keep abreast. Let us tolerate ourselves as preached by Jesus.
ReplyDeleteWas there not a school uniform before this merger? I think that everybody should wear the original school uniform with same pattern and design. A school remains a school and not a church or mosque. Does this hijab add to their ability to learn? Believe you me , these girls are not happy with all dis masquerading to school. Those making all these provocative laws should please think twice or get Better advisers if you can't reason well.
ReplyDeleteWas there not a school uniform before this merger? I think that everybody should wear the original school uniform with same pattern and design. A school remains a school and not a church or mosque. Does this hijab add to their ability to learn? Believe you me , these girls are not happy with all dis masquerading to school. Those making all these provocative laws should please think twice or get Better advisers if you can't reason well.
ReplyDelete