By Onuoha
Ukeh
On Monday, when
secondary school students of Osun
State attended school in
church apparels, with some donning white garments and others wearing hijabs as well as cassocks, I remembered
Williams B. Yeats’ poem: The Second Coming. In a verse in the
epic poem, the poet wrote: “Turning and
turning in the widening gyre/The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall
apart, the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”
Gov Aregbesola of Osun State |
Yeats may not have
been talking about Osun
State in the poem, but
his literary work holds true for the state, where a near sectarian strife is
looming over school uniform, amid leadership failure. Indeed, in Osun, it seems
the falcon is not hearing the falconer. Things are falling apart in the state
and the centre appears not holding. And since a stage has been set for students
to wear what they like to school, “mere anarchy” is loosed upon Osun State .
The signals from Osun State are
not pleasant, indeed. To say the least, they are not only frightening but also
dangerous. A situation where Christians and Muslims are pitted against one
another, in a country that is supposed to be secular, there is certainly
something to worry about. Surprisingly, the state government seems to be playing
to the gallery.
Yes, an Osogbo High
Court in Osun State last week ruled that female Muslim students were
entitled to wear hijabs to school if
they so wished. Delivering judgment in a suit brought by the Muslim community
in Osun, since February 2013, Justice Jide Falola held that any act of
harassment, molestation, humiliation and torture against female Muslim students
using hijabs constitutes a clear
infringement on their fundamental rights. The judge had cited Section 38 of the
1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) as basis of the judgment. Section 38
(1) states “Every person shall be
entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with
others, and in public or private) to manifest and propagate his religion or
belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”
Section 38 (2) also states: “No person attending any place of education shall be required to receive instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own, or a religion not approved by his parents or guardian.”
Section 38 (2) also states: “No person attending any place of education shall be required to receive instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own, or a religion not approved by his parents or guardian.”
For the avoidance
of doubt, the Muslim community in Osun had approached the court, seeking an
order to allow female Muslim students use veils (hijabs) in public schools. The suit instituted against the state
government, also had the state Commissioner for Education, Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice as defendants. The Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN), its chairman and others had joined the case as respondents.