Osun – There appears to be no end in sight to the religious crises rocking the Baptist High School in Iwo, Osun State, as the state government appears to be at a stalemate with the Osun Baptist Conference (OBC).
Gov. Aregbesola with students of the O’ School Reform initiative
The state government had yesterday, January 6th, directed that parents of the 92 students identified as the perpetrators behind the 2-day tension that rocked the school.
However, a counter-directive was issued by the OBC, asking all its members invited to Osogbo by the state government to shun such invitation.
Baptist High School, Iwo witnessed two days of tension as students came to school garbed in their various religious attires on Wednesday; Christian students wore choir gowns and the Muslim students appeared in hijab. They went on to rend the air with their respective Islamic and Christian songs, adamantly refusing the teachers’ attempts at silencing them.
On the second day, some students equally mobilized masquerades to the school, allegedly with the collaboration of some traditionalists in the town as various religious organizations have taken interest in the crisis rocking the education sector in the state.
Read Religious Crisis In Osun School As Students Demonstrate (PHOTOS)
The crisis may be traced to the introduction of the same uniform for all public secondary schools in the state and also, the legalised the use of veil, hijab, by the state government.
A statement by the Director of Bureau of Communication and Srategy to Governor Aregbesola, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, in Osogbo yesterday said: “Preliminary investigations reveal that 92 of the 2,500 student population in that school were involved in a protest over the wearing of hijab.
“In view of the development, government has, therefore, invited parents of the 92 students involved in the protest for a meeting at 4 pm on Friday in Osogbo with a view to finding a lasting solution to the issues.
“The government also wishes to state that a panel of inquiry is to be constituted immediately to investigate remote and immediate causes of the perennial disturbance at the Baptist High School, Iwo.
“The panel is to comprise representatives of the relevant organisations such as the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Parents Teachers Association, PTA, and community leaders with officials of the Ministry of Education.
“It must be stated that the government recognises protest as a legitimate avenue for registering grievances in a democracy which must be peaceful and decent. However, it will not condone acts of indiscipline in any form from any quarters.
“We restate our commitment to the total reform of the education sector just as we are determined to bring reforms to other aspects of our people’s lives in Osun.”
OBC’s Counter-Directive:
The directive is contained in a communique issued to journalists in Osogbo, yesterday, after the end of the meeting of executive committee of the conference.
The communique signed by the President of OBC, Rev. Paul Oluwole said: “The OBC had the support of the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state to ask parents and teachers to shun the planned meeting and to ask Christian students to continue to wear religious garments to their schools.
The OBC’s counter directive, reads in part: ”The Osun Baptist Conference has asked parents and guardians of the Baptist High School, Iwo who were invited to a meeting by the state government to discuss the issue of hijab to shun the invitation.
“That the Baptist community in Osun State and Iwo community is vehemently opposed to the use of hijab in Baptist High School, Iwo.
“That no parents and students be invited to Osogbo under any guise to intimidate the parents and their wards, rather if there is any information to pass, it should go through the normal channel such as the school authority or the Parents Teachers Association.
“That in view of our observation that the wearing of hijab in Baptist High School appears to have the backing of the state government, we hereby also authorize and mandate all our Christian students to wear their religious garments.
“That Tutor‑General and officials of the Ministry of Education should stop henceforth to intimidate students and their parents.”
