Hijab: Ifa Worshippers Warn Gov Abdulrazaq Against ‘Violence Inciting Bill’

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has been warned against a bill that could cause violence in the state.

Naija News understands that the governor was called to order on Tuesday, March 23 in a statement by the global head of Ifa priests, otherwise referred to as Araba Agbaye, Chief Owolabi Aworeni.

Aworeni cautioned the House of Representatives to halt a bill that sought to institutionalise the use of hijab in the country.

Recall that acceptance of hijab as part of school uniform recently caused uproar in Kwara State with Christian mission schools shut down in resistance against the move by the state government. Naija News understands that the state government had established a law that sought to enforce the use of hijab by Muslim students in the schools.

The development, however, resulted in commotion in the state capital after both religious groups clashed on different spots. Reacting to the bill which has been condemned by some persons, the Araba, represented by his deputy, the Araba Oluisese of Ibadan, Ifalere Odegbola, in an interview with journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, said, “We are appealing to the Governor of Kwara State to caution against steps that are capable of turning Kwara State and the entire country into crises.

He said: “Peace will reign supreme if religions generally are given pride of place. Let the Christian schools be, same for Muslim schools and schools for the traditional worshippers, without any religion lording it over the other.

“A traditional worshipper who decides to attend Christian school should imbibe the Christian practices and principles and ditto for a Christian child who chooses to attend a Muslim school. If he decides to attend the school, he has to abide by the practices.

“It is wrong for a child who belongs to another faith to want to force his way through. The governor should desist from acts that can incite violence or civil disorderliness. Academics should not continue to get interrupted as we have it at the moment.

“In the same vein, we are appealing to the National Assembly to drop the issue of the use of hijab; we are warning that religious intolerance should not be allowed to polarise us as people. Nigeria as a secular nation should be receptive to all religions and people should be free to practice their own faith without any interference.”

Meanwhile, the National leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called out the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq over the recent policy by his administration on the wearing of hijab by female students in public schools, Naija News reports.