The Kwara State Government has sent a delegation to Ijagbo in the Oyun Local Government Area of the state, where crises over hijab had recorded at least one death and several others injured.
The delegation, led by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mamman Jibril, according to a statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, “is to persuade both parties in the hijab question to embrace peace and respect government’s lawful directive.
“It also commiserated with the people on the aftermath of the controversy at the Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, in which one person died and left others with varying degrees of injury.”
Other members of the delegation included the Commissioner for Local Government Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Architect Aliyu Saifuddeen; Commissioner for Environment, Buraimoh Olaitan; Special Assistant to the Governor on Religion (Islam) Alhaji Danmaigoro; and a former Christian Association of Nigeria Chairman in Kwara State, Prof. Timothy Opoola.
Jibril, who delivered the governor’s message, charged the people to live peacefully and harmoniously with each other, in order to prevent the recurrence of the ugly situation.
He advised against reprisals which would only lead to a cycle of violence and damage to the economy of the area.
Jibril added that the crisis would have been averted if those involved had obeyed the rules and regulations in Kwara state public schools, on the use of hijab for willing Muslim students.
The SSG prayed for the repose of the deceased, and quick recovery for the injured.
Places visited were the palace of Onijagbo of Ijagbo; the Muslims and Christian communities; families of the deceased; as well as the injured at the hospital.
The government also extended cash support to those affected.
Receiving the delegation at the palace on behalf of the Onijagbo, the Olora of Ijagbo, Chief Mudashir Ajiboye, thanked Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, for the delegation, and promised that they would continue to prevail on their subjects for peaceful coexistence.
He said the people of Ijagbo had a long history of religious harmony and peaceful coexistence.
Meanwhile, Kwara Baptist Conference has said that the issue of wearing of Hijab in Christian Mission Schools in the state has never been resolved between the government and the various missions that owned the schools.
Addressing a press conference at the Baptist Conference Secretariat, the President, Reverend Victor Dada, maintained that the state government had never sat down to dialogue with the owners of the mission schools which were being grant-aided by the government.
Dada who insisted that the schools were not owned by the government, said that the state government only grant-aided the schools, adding, “how can the government claim ownership when it is not the owner of the land on which the schools were built; it does not have the C of O, and since the said takeover, the government has not paid any compensation to the school owners.
“After a while, the church had to mellow down with an 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 were yet to be returned to us. After many months, the state government was still foot-dragging on this issue.”
Copyright PUNCH.
