The hijab crisis rocking Kwara State, North Central Nigeria may not be over yet following the demand from Muslim community in the State that the names of all schools formerly owned by religious institutions be changed.
The Muslims insist that this is the lasting solution to the crisis that have been plaguing the State for years. The religious crisis worsened early this year after Christians in the State tried to stop Muslim students from wearing the Islamic head covering to schools formerly owned by Christian Missionaries.
The Kwara State Government had just re-opened the Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, the school at the centre of the recent crisis for students to resume academic activities, four months after it was shut to avert confrontation by the parties.
But the muslim community in the state said the lasting solution to the issue is to change the names of schools formerly owned by both Christians and Muslim missionaries.
Many of the schools in contention are owned by Christians even though they are being funded by Government. The State is predominantly Muslim.
In a letter addressed to the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Muslims recommended six actions to be taken by the Government toresolve the issue of hijab-wearing by female Muslim students in all public schools in the State.
The letter dated June 7, 2022, with reference number KWS/MS/01/22 and signed by Alhaji Ishaq AbdulKareem (Chairman) and Professor Ibrahim Abikan (Secretary), demanded among other things compensation for their members affected in the violent hijab crisis.
According to the letter, “The Kwara State Government should change the names of all schools formerly owned by both the Muslim and Christian proprietors by adding’ Government’ into them, e.g, Ansarul Islam Government Secondary School, Ilorin, Bishop Smith Memorial Government College, Ilorin,” the community stated in the letter.
“The Kwara State Government must build a new school mosque for Muslim students/ teachers of Bishop Smith Memorial College, Ilorin to replace the one demolished.
“The Kwara State Government should appoint a new Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, while the permanent secretary in the ministry should be moved to another ministry.
The Kwara State Government must enforce freedom of worship in our schools by ensuring that separate devotions are held for Muslim and Christian students at the school assembly, and no external Imam or Pastor should be allowed to participate in morning devotion aside from the school teachers.
“The Kwara State Government should ensure, henceforth, that appointments and postings of Principals into all schools should be based on merit and seniority and should be the sole responsibility of the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission instead of former Proprietors as it is being done now,” the Muslim community said.
Meanwhile, close watchers of events in the State insist that renaming the Schools could lead to fresh religious crisis in the State, particularly, as Christians may resist any attempt by the Governor Abdulrahman administration to change the names of Christian Missionary Schools.
“This would be interpreted as the Government pandering to the whims and caprices of a particular religious community in a plural religious state. It will send a dangerous signal that could lead to a very dangerous dimension of the current crisis,” a politician in the State who does not want his name mentioned told the magazine on Tuesday.
