At the heart of the hijab crisis in Kwara State is the ownership tussle between the missions and the government ADEKUNLE JIMOH reports from Ilorin.
The hijab row in government grant-aided mission schools that characterised the first quarter of last year in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, resurfaced early this month with attendant casualties.
This time the confrontation happened in only Oyun Baptist High School (OBHS), Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area of the state. But it was bloodier. It left in its trail sorrow, blood and tears claiming one life, while about 11 people sustained injuries.
The furore generated early last year over hijab (head covering) wearing in state grant-aided mission schools subsided when Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reached a truce.
And the agreement, according to CAN sources, was that the government would hands-off all the grant-aided schools to their owners. But since March, last year, CAN claimed the AbdulRazaq-led administration was yet to fulfil its own side of the bargain.
Before the meeting between the government and CAN, there was bloody confrontation between some Muslim members and Christians in Ilorin.
This forced the government to shut down the schools whose authorities resisted wearing of hijab in mission schools.
The affected schools, which were shut for four weeks between February and March last year, were: C&S College, Sabo Oke; St. Anthony College, Offa Road, ECWA School, Oja Iya; Surulere Baptist Secondary School and Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam.
Others were CAC Secondary School, Asa Dam, St. Barnabas Secondary School, Sabo Oke, St. John School, Maraba, St. Williams Secondary School, Taiwo Isale and St. James Secondary School, Maraba.
The five grant-aided schools run by Muslim mission were not involved in the crisis.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Mary Kemi Adeosun said then in a statement that “a government committee comprising representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities” would meet to iron out the differences between the two communities.
The crisis was not resolved until the government announced that the schools should resume March 16, as the Christian and muslim groups clashed outside the schools on the first day of resumption (March 17).
Government policy on hijab-wearing is that Muslim pupils wear hijab and Christian pupils, beret. However, the wearing of both is optional.
Unsatisfied on January 17, 2022, authorities of Baptist High School (BHS) Ijagbo, Oyun LGA barred hijab-wearing female pupils from entering the school premises.
Angered by the development, parents of the affected students thronged the school gate spitting fire, but the school authorities would not budge.
Subsequently, Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu summoned a meeting of the school’s management and parents of the affected students on January 28.
At the meeting, she handed down an order that hijab or beret wearing by either Muslim or Christian female students is not obligatory.
She directed the management of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo to immediately implement the policy statement on the use of approved hijab in public schools.
But the school authorities did not yield its stance maintaining that grant-aided schools in the state were under the management of their owners.
After scores of parents of the affected students staged a peaceful protest in front of the Kwara State Government House, the controversy boiled over on February 3 leading to one death, injuries and the school’s closure.
Condemning the violence, Kawu said the government would not condone discrimination on religious basis in public schools.
“The state government unreservedly condemnes the flagrant act of discrimination against anyone, especially children, on religious grounds. Such discrimination will not be tolerated in any public-owned institution in the state.”
However, CAN does not agree that grant-aided school as fully-government owned public schools. It is agitating for the state to return Christian mission schools to their owners.
Reacting to the development, the group noted that it would not allow use of hijab in grant-aided mission schools. It blamed suspected Muslim fundamentalists for the at Oyun Baptist High School.
Kwara State President of Baptist Conference Rev Victor Dada said: “It has been said times without number that we cannot and will not allow the use of hijab in our mission schools. We have since asked the state government to return our schools back to us.
“We want to inform the general public that whatever happens in our schools on hijab issue should be dropped at the doorsteps of the state government.
“The aim and mission of those that went to Oyun Baptist High School to foment trouble on the issue of hijab will fail. CAN in the state will resist their move, even with the last ounce of our blood. We, therefore, demand that the hoodlums be fished out and appropriately prosecuted.”
Rev. Dada said the schools were not completely taken over by the government four decades ago. He said the then military administration only took over control of staffing needs in the schools.
Calling on the government to return the schools, he said: “We implore the state government to as a matter of urgency to return our schools back to us. Christians are bona fide citizens of this state and we own it together. If the state government refuses, we will use all constitutional means to get our schools back.
“You would recall that there was an issue on the use of hijab in mission schools and there was a hiccup in some mission schools within Ilorin metropolis sometimes last year. After a while, the church had to mellow down with understanding that the state government would return our schools back to us. But after all said and done, having fulfilled all the state government’s requirements our schools are yet to be returned to us. After many months, the state government is still foot-dragging on this issue.
“The mission schools were not unilaterally taken over by the government in 1974. There was an agreement between government and the school proprietors. Each has its own part to play in the running of the schools.
“Let me reiterate that our schools belong to us, and during the take-over, no compensation, was paid to any mission school. Our mission schools are legacies handed over to us by our forefathers. Nothing and I mean nothing will change our stance. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
“No doubt, the present governor in the state is pro-Muslim, but Kwara State is not a Muslim state and it will not be by the grace of the Almighty God.”
Reacting to the brawl at OBHS, a group, the Kwara State Muslim Stakeholders urged the state government to set up a commission of inquiry to unravel the brains behind the violence.
The group also charged the government to enforce its policy on hijab in all government grant- aided secondary schools.
Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Isiaq Albdulkareem alleged that one of the parents of the Muslim students of the school, Habeeb Idris, was killed during the fracas.
The group called for the relocation of the pupils to other schools pending the resolution of the crisis.
Legal adviser of the forum, Ibrahim Agbaje, said that CAN lost the two cases it instituted both at the lower and appellate courts on the issue of hijab-wearing by Muslim school girls in the state.
He said there was no case instituted at the Supreme Court by CAN to appeal the earlier judgements delivered by a Kwara State High Court and the Court of Appeal.
But Rev Dada countered, saying CAN did not take the issue of hijab-wearing to court.
“There was nothing like the issue of hijab in the prayers we took to the Appeal Court. It beats our imagination that the judgment was delivered on prayers not asked for. That is why we have been asking when the court has become a Father Christmas dishing out judgment on what we did not pray for.
“We did not lose any judgment. (It was) because the government refused to sit down with us for renegotiation that is why we took the case to the highest court in the land- Supreme Court.
“If anybody is telling you that there is no case at the apex court, they should go and verify. The papers were delivered to the governor and the state Ministry of Justice.”
Agitation for the return of the mission schools to their owners dates back to 2012 when proprietors of the schools and their affiliated churches approached the state to return their schools. It became a thorny issue at the time as the state government said such demands could not be met until the state’s Education Law of 2006 was repealed.
The schools in question were partly taken over by the government in 1974 under the programme of ‘Government’s grant in aid to schools.’
During the inauguration of the state schools board for the grant-aided schools, the then governor of the state Col. David Bamgboye said: “It is appropriate for me at this juncture to clarify some misgivings about the state schools Board. The term ‘take-over’ has become very current in our newspapers that it needs to be clarified in respect of our establishment of the schools board.
“I mentioned in my budget speech that my government has not yet decided to take over secondary schools. What will now be taken over is the staff management in grant-aided post-primary institutions and not the institutions themselves. A total take–over of schools by government means, among other things, a change in ownership of schools. In this connection, I want to remind the voluntary agencies that they are still the owner of their schools and therefore retain the rights over as well as responsibilities for them.”
Col, Bamgboye later added: “ On the right of ownership of institutions, proprietors still retain the greatest of proprietary rights namely, ownership of their grants aided institutions. It should be noted that the existence of the Board will in no way detract from this; the names of schools remain as given by proprietors; religious orientation and practices in the schools remain generally undisturbed; the right to nominate board of governors with responsibility for the day-to-day management and welfare of the institutions remain unchanged. The board of governors will continue to function normally except in regards to staff matters which responsibility is taken over by the state schools board and the total tone of the institutions remains the responsibility of the board of governors as the main organ of the proprietors.”
He emphaised that the proprietors should not relent in their continued support for the benefit of the students.
“At this point, I want to emphasise the importance of proprietors’ continued participation. Under the new scheme, the institutions whose staff management is being taken over should continue to be virile and progressive with buoyant financial support from community and missions both for proper maintenance and necessary developments.
“By this I mean the mistake of the past should not be repeated whereby people misunderstood the role of the local education authorities for ‘a total take-over’ of the transferred schools and consequently washed off their hands financially.
“I am here reiterating that proprietors still owe large duties to their institutions and these they should continue to discharge through their boards of governors, for example:- the regular maintenance of the school buildings, housing of institutional staff, provisions of school accommodation, the general tone of the institution, appointment of board’s own administrative staff and anything to do with the academic work of the school, other than teaching staff.
‘’I hope that the missionary as well as the community spirits which engendered these institutions will continue to enable them to run without any financial hardship,” he reiterated.
