Kwara State Muslim community Monday recommended change of names for all schools formerly owned by Muslim and Christian proprietors as a panacea to lingering crisis over wearing of hijabs by Muslim school girls.
The Muslim community, in a letter addressed to the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, recommended six actions to be taken by the government in resolving the vex issue of hijab wearing by female Muslim students in all public schools in the state.
“The Kwara state government should change the names of all schools formerly owned by both the Muslim and Christian proprietors by adding’ Government’ into them, e.g, Ansarul Islam Government Secondary School, Ilorin, Bishop Smith Memorial Government College, Ilorin,” the community stated in the letter.
Copies of the letter dated June 7, 2022 with reference number KWS/MS/01/22 and signed by Alh Ishaq AbdulKareem (chairman) and Prof AbdulKadir Ibrahim Abikan( secretary)were made available to newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital on Monday.
The Muslim body also demanded adequate compensation for the family of the late Habeeb Idris allegedly killed on 3rd February, 2022 during the hijab crisis that rocked Ijagbo, Oyun local government area of the state.
Other demands of the Muslim community as follow:
“The Kwara state government must build a new school mosque for Muslim students/teachers of Bishop Smith Memorial College, Ilorin to replace one demolish by Kwara CAN thugs.
“The Kwara state government should appoint a new commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, while the permanent secretary in the ministry should be moved to another ministry.
“The Kwara state government must enforce freedom of worship in our schools by ensuring that separate devotions are held for Muslim and Christian students at the school assembly; and no external Imam or Pastor should be allowed to participate in morning devotion aside from the school teachers.
“The Kwara state government should ensure, henceforth, that appointments and postings of Principals into all schools should be based on merit and seniority and should be the sole responsibility of Kwara State Teaching Service Commission instead by former proprietors as it’s being done now.”
