The Kwara School Hijab issue and the displayof ignorance or deliberate disinformation by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN isastonishing, to say the least. I don't know if he was born before 1963 or 79constitutions were enacted. I assume that he must have passed SecondaryEducation when the 1999 constitution became operational. Let us take forgranted that he was not of age in 1963 and 1979, before he passed his law degreeexaminations at the university, he must have taken and passed courses inconstitutional laws of Nigeria. Also at the law school, he ought to have passedthe examination on constitutional law before he was called to the Nigerian Barto practice law in Nigeria as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court ofNigeria. He must also have excelled in legal practice to bag the prestigioustitle of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. It is therefore astonishing andastounding that he could sacrifice equity to take a position on the right ofMuslim pupils and high school students in Kwara state to wear a hijab while goingto schools if they so elected to do so without recourse to the court of law orprevious competent court judgment across the nation on the same issue became ajudge in his own court as a Christian. The statement that Nigeria is a secular state isnot befitting to the status of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Has Nigeria everbeen a secular state? For the benefit of the younger generation ofNigerians. The colonization of the country and the amalgamation of the Northernand the Southern amalgamation in 1914 made Nigeria Christianized countryunder the King/Queen of England. The King /Queen was the founder and globalhead of the Anglican Church worldwide till today including Nigeria. All theparaphernalia of State from local to Federal government were Christianised and run under Christian tradition and culture of the King/King ofEngland. Since then till today, Muslims have to struggle to access theirconstitutional guaranteed rights. The struggle began in 1955 with the formationof the Muslims Students Society of Nigeria MSSN in 1954 and the struggle isstill on till today. The sage of Yorubas after Oduduwa, Chief Obafemi Awolowoinadvertently triggered the struggle in the same year with the introduction offree primary education in the old Western Region. The first set ofuniversity graduates began to emerge in 1972. The geometric rise in numberstriggered the consciousness of Muslims in Nigeria at schools and social levels. Request for admission space which hitherto was exclusive preserve on Christianssuddenly became competitive. It also triggered the suppression andrepression of Muslims in schools and public services. We shall go into the depthof this in the future. Meanwhile, Is Ebun-Oluwa SAN ignorant of thefacts stated above?Let me assume that he was not born undercolonial rule and by extension the first Republic. could he play ignorance ofthe provision of the 1963 Constitution sections 25 to 29 on the right ofindividuals to freedom of religion, worship, and association? Is he also not at homewith the content and context of the provisions of the 1979 constitutionsections 35, 37, and 39? Maybe he also needs to update himselfparticularly on sub-sections 1, 2, and 3 0f the 1979 organic law of the nation.Perhaps he also needs a refresher course on theprovisions of Chapter 4 sections 34 to 42 of the 1999 Constitution. It is worrisome when the Educated and expectedlearned individuals get cloaked by religious antagonism and prebendalismdescend to shop floor level of the ignorance to misinform the public and incitenegative passion from Christians against the right of Muslim girls to wearhijab in schools in Kwara State albeit Nigeria. Is Ebun-Olu oblivious of the 1976takeover of schools throughout Nigeria by the Federal and State Governments?Compensation was paid to all the owners. The government's retained thenames as tributes to the contributions of private individuals and religiousgroups to the early development of Education particularly in Southern Nigeria.The school's takeover was to prevent the unconstitutional andforceful conversion of Muslim students to Christianity against their wishes andthat of their parents. I was a victim of this at the Baptist HighSchool Iwo in the old Western State when I returned from Lagos after workingbriefly for two years to finance my Higher School Certificate HSC class. I havetold that story in my book "Witness to Power Struggle."The unconstitutional prevention anddiscrimination and forceful conversion of Muslim students were what the ChristianAssociation of Nigeria CAN and their Advocates are seeking to reimpose on thenation. It is a deliberate incitement of Muslims to negative reactions soas to stigmatize Islam as a violent religion. Unfortunately, Ebun-Olu did notcomment on the killing of a Muslim student and scores other wounded byChristian militias drafted to the school to drive away from the hijabite students. What a tragedy on EQUITY? It is also shocking, the complicity of thepolice and Civil Defence Corps officers present at the scenes. What is theirreason for not preventing the mayhem? Or arresting the criminals? The Police IGshould investigate the incident and invite those involved for questions andcharge them appropriately before the court. The DPO and DSS Leaders in the localshould be held accountable for any future crisis in the area. The Kwara StateGovernment should speak up before it becomes another Boko Haram. it is not deniable that Muslims in Eastern and South-South Nigeria are endangered. Mosques are demolished at willby state governments. No Muslim group is granted a Certificate of occupancyto build Mosques or Schools, Muslims have not resorted to violence people likethe Kwara Baptist Church bigots. Yet, Ebun-Olu SAN will classify Nigeria as asecular country. New English Dictionary by Geddes &Grosseteste defines the word secular thus: having no connection with religion orthe Church. The constitution of Nigeria never uses the wordsecular. It rather protects the rights to freedom of religion, worship, andassociation. What really is the Christian hullabaloo abouthijab all about? What is the effect of the use of the hijab on Christianity orChristians in Nigeria? CAN and other advocates like Ebun-OluSAN need to answer these questions.Enough of heating up the polity in the name ofChristianity. Are the pretentious Church pastor, evangelist, and numerousGO'S like Christ? Is the opposition against Muslims or PresidentBuhari is a genuine reason for cloaking under Christianity to perpetuateinstability In Nigeria? Only Pastors Kumuyi, Bakare, MamaGO, and a few others are Pacific and preachers of love and brotherhood to all,irrespective of tribe religion or political persuasion. I Challenge Ebun-Olu SAN TO A PUBLIC DEBATE ONTV on this issue at any time and place. God bless Nigeria.
