Hijab: Muslim students denies attending stakeholders meeting
Sodiq Oyeleke
Students under the aegis of Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria, Lagos
State Area Unit have faulted the Lagos State Government over claims that hijab
was banned in the state after a consensus reached at a stakeholders meeting.
Lagos Commissioner for Education, Mrs
Olayinka Oladunjoye had in a press conference claimed that the decision to ban
the use of hijab was a consensus reached at a stakeholders meeting chaired by
the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr Oyinlomo Danmole.
But the students in a statement by
their Public Relations Officer, Sulaimon Alamutu, on Thursday, said they were
not invited by the government to any meeting.
He said, “We want to state unequivocally
that the claim of Mrs Oladunjoye was an absolute lie and an attempt to obstruct
the course of justice. The commissioner claimed in her statement to the
media that the MSSN representatives were at the so called stakeholders' meeting
where the decision to ban the hijab was taken.
“How can we be demanding that the right
of Muslims to use hijab in schools be given them and at the same time we will
consent to a 'consensus' that is anti-thetical to our demand? We were never
invited for any meeting at any point in time!”
According to him, the government failed
to fulfil the promises made to them during a protest against the flogging and
punishment of two pupils by their school principals.
He said, “Let us state here that the
state government had reneged on its agreement to call us for dialogue since our
mass protest of February 28, 2013 to the Governor's Office in Alausa. The state
government did not only reneged on all agreements but also ensured through
delay tactics that the case is swept under the carpet.
“The pronouncement by the commissioner
is disrespect for the rule of law. We have already served the government court
notice on the issue and Justice Oyewole of the State High Court had fixed May
27, 2013 for hearing of our suit. So, we wonder why the commissioner, who we
believe, knows the position of the law, would come out to make such
pronouncement.”
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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