I never ordered use of hijab in schools, says Aregbesola

Rauf Aregbesola, governor of Osun state, on Monday said he never ordered the use of Hijab by female Muslim students in public schools in the state.

Are‎gbesola said this during a roundtable organised by the Development and Advancement in Western Nigeria (DAWN) in Osogbo, the state capital.

He challenged those who accused him of ordering the use of Hijab by Muslims‎ to substantiate their claims.

According to Semiu Okanlawon, the governor’s spokesman, Aregbesola asked those accusing him of plunging the state into religious crisis to present a video or voice recording, written speech, stating where he commanded or ordered female Muslim students to wear Hijab on their uniforms.

“There is nothing religious in any of our policies. The fact on ground contradicts our opposition’s claim. The choice of my deputy governor tells it all, I knew she was a pentecotalist of the highest order before I picked her. Everything we have done in the line of education is in line with the resolution of our education summit,” he was quoted as saying.

“Against all speculations, I have not ordered the use of Hijab, I challenge anybody with evidence to come out and show that I have made a proclamation on Hijab.

“If I have permitted Hijab, will the muslim have gone to court to challenge it, is that not contradictory? Is it a crime that I am a Muslim? Is it because I struggle to be a good Muslim that everything I do is being misunderstood? I think I don’t deserve all these lies against me.”

Aregbesola said upon assumption of office, the first task of his administration was to convene an education summit which was chaired by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, adding that all interventions of government in education came from the recommendations of the summit, which did not recommend any religion.

Speaking on education in the West, the governor said the downward trend should be worrisome due to the role of education in development and bringing enlightenment to the human mind, ‎platform for leadership recruitment and the means for character building and good citizenship.

The Governor told participants that his administration is constructing 100 state-of-the art elementary schools, 50 middle schools and 20 high schools in addition to rehabilitating the existing ones.

He added that the schools in the state before his intervention would have attracted rebuke from “animal rights activists” if government had put pigs there.