Averting religious crisis in Osun state....1

LAST week,Osun state was in the news
again for a wrong reason. A High Court

judgment which allows female Muslim
Students to wear face coveringsor hijab on
their uniform pitched Christians against
Muslims.
The court held that it is the fundamental
rights of the female muslims to wear hijab
– even when that promotesdifferentiation
and not uniformity the students. What would
have degenerated to a face-off between the
adherents of the two religions was averted
by security agents.
Students of Baptist High School Adeeke Iwo,
who wore church garments and choir robes
on their uniform were denied entry into the
school premises by security men on
Wednesday June 15, 2016, while those who
wore hijab were allowed into school.
Governor RaufAregbesola had on the
previous day threatened violators of school
rules and regulations with expulsion.
Justice Jide Falolaof Osun state High Court
delivered the controversial judgment in a
case instituted by Muslim community
against the State Government on the right
of female Muslim students to wear hijab on
their uniform. Christian Association of
Nigeria, CAN, Osun chapter, had filed an
appeal against the judgment. Claiming
residual proprietary rights, Osun CAN warned
that enforcing Justice Falola’s judgement
in missionary schools takenover by the state
in 1975, would lead to breakdown of law and
order.
The secularity of Nigeria is guaranteed
under the 1999 constitution. It allows
adherents to protect and propagate their
religions unhindered. No public policy should
however be perceived to covertly or overtly
accord one religion an advantage over the
other under any circumstance.
We agree with Governor Aregbesola that
those who are dissatisfied with the court
judgement should seek redress through the
due process of the law. This is true because
a court judgement is valid until it is set
aside by a superior court.
We fault the statement credited to the
Chairman of the State Universal Basic
Education Board (SUBEB), Felix Awofisayo
who said that the government will enforce
the court verdict in all public schools as
hasty and unfortunate. It suggests the
voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau.