Kwara appoints white paper committee over hijab crisis

Dethrone Kwara monarch, kingmakers urge govt
AbdulRazaq

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has appointed a six-member White Paper Committee on the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students of Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo.

The committee, according to a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, is chaired by a Law professor, Amuda Kannike (SAN).

The members include Joseph Bamigboye (SAN), Dr Haruna Gogata, Mrs F.O. Titiloye; Dr Saadat Yusuf, and a senior civil servant, Mr Amos Thompson, who will serve as committee’s secretary.

The committee will examine and make actionable recommendations to the government on the report of the panel that had investigated the crisis that rocked the Baptist school over the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students.

The governor said the committee had two weeks to conclude the assignment and submit its report.

Recall that crisis broke out between Christian and Islamic leaders in Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo over wearing of hijab by female Muslim students in which at least one person was feared killed while about 11 others were seriously injured in February, 2022.

Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo has been shut down since then while the fate of the 150 final year students who registered for the West Africa School Certificate Examinations is still hanging as a result of the shutdown of the school.

The state government had set up a seven-member committee headed by Dr Sheu Omoniyi to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

The committee submitted its report to the governor on April 29, 2022.