The Kwara State government has announced a decision to shut down 10 public/grant-aided schools over the controversy surrounding the government policy on the use of hijab in such schools.
The government in a statement on Sunday evening signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said the schools will remain shut till further notice for safety concerns.
It also directed the students and staff of such schools to remain at home until the government gives a contrary directive on the matter.
It will be recalled the state government had declared that Muslim girls in all public schools in the state including Christian-owned, grant-aided schools are now permitted to wear hijabs as part of their uniform.
This position was revealed in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Professor Mamma Sabah Jibril on the lingering controversy surrounding the use of hijab in grant-aided public schools in the state.
It also directed the Ministry of Education to come up with a uniform hijab for all public/grant-aided schools in the state.
However, the policy was rejected by the Christian proprietors of the grant-aided schools.
In a communique issued by the Kwara chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), proprietors of grant-aided schools, head of blocs, heads of different denominations, and other delegates at the end of their meeting with respect to the issue of wearing hijab in public/grant-aided schools in Kwara State, they rejected the government policy and vowed to occupy the schools and explore legal means to ensure what they described as an injustice does not stand.
The communique signed by CAN secretary, Rev Reuben Idowu Ibitoye, and the PRO, Apostle Shina Ibiyemi, noted that the directive by the state government is an attempt to technically Islamize the affected schools.
Following the impasse created by the situation, the Kwara government in an update on Sunday, announced an indefinite closure of the affected schools over the use of hijab.
The affected schools are C&S College Sabo Oke, ST. Anthony College, Offa Road, ECWA School, Oja Iya, Surulere Baptist Secondary School, Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam, CAC Secondary School Asa Dam road, St. Barnabas Secondary School Sabo Oke, St. John School Maraba, St. Williams Secondary School Taiwo Isale, and St. James Secondary School Maraba.
The government statement on the matter as made available to Naija News reads: “The Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development wishes to inform members of the public that the 10 government schools where the use of hijaab is disputed will remain shut until a later date.”
“This decision has been taken for safety reasons.”
“The government, therefore, directs schoolchildren and teachers in the affected schools to remain at home until the contrary is announced. The government remains committed to fairness, pluralism, and respect for the law and rights of every citizen at all times.”
It will be recalled the schools had earlier been shut down in the wake of the controversy but were ordered to be re-opened on Monday, 8th March before a counter-directive was now issued by the government on the matter.
In other news, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, on Sunday, called on Fulani herdsmen to live in the towns rather than reside inside the bushes so that everyone will know them.
The monarch also called on Fulani residents in towns to fish out the criminals among them in the interest of peaceful co-existence.
Oba Akanbi in a statement posted on his Facebook page, on Sunday, alleged that all security issues in the South-West are about the 2023 presidential election.