Kwara hijab crisis: South West Baptist Conferences demand return of mission schools
By ADEKUNLE JIMOH, Ilorin
As the furore over wearing of hijab (Muslim headscarf) in grant-aided schools in Kwara State rages on, the 13 Baptist Conferences in South Western Nigeria yesterday urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to consider return of the schools to the original owners.
The Kwara and Kogi states’ spokesperson of the group, Rev (Dr.) Oyewale Oyeniyi, said this while addressing reporters in Ilorin.
Rev Oyeniyi urged Christians in the state to always maintain law and order “knowing that our God will surely continue to fight for us.”
He said: “It is high time the state government consider the return of mission schools to the original owners as we have seen in Lagos and Osun states. As Baptists, we have shown in these two states that we have what it takes to maintain and cater for our schools staff and students and we are willing to accept what belongs to us originally.”
“We also want the governor to be unbiased in the discharge of orders as pertaining to the wearing of hijab in the mission schools since the matter is still in the Supreme Court with the state surely served by the court; for the interest of peace and uninterrupted educational system, any Muslim parent who wants his /her child or children to wear hijab compulsorily should honourably withdraw his/her child or children to Muslim established schools instead of causing mayhem in the mission schools.” (The Nation)
