Kwara reopens Oyun School, reaffirms use of hijab in public schools
The Kwara State governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has directed the reopening of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, starting Friday June 3, 2022.
The State government closed the school over three months ago after a bloody hijab controversy, which led to the killing of Habeeb Idris allegedly by Christian fanatics.
In a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Mary K Adeosun said the ministry “wishes to announce the reopening of the Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo from Friday, June 3, 2022.
“Consequently, all teachers and students are directed to return to their classrooms while the government white paper committee continues the efforts to address pending issues related to the recent disturbance in the public school,” she said.
The Ministry also restated government’s position that any Muslim schoolgirl who desires to wear the hijab is allowed to do so in all public schools, including in Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo, which is owned by the State government and run with public resources.
“The Ministry’s decision to reopen the school is one of the government’s multi-prong approaches to return normalcy to the school.
“All stakeholders in the area are urged to give peace a chance and to respect the law. The government will not hesitate to shut the school again, among other things, if anything threatens the safety of the little children.
“The Ministry welcomes all our students back to school, and urges them to maximise their time in the classrooms, while relevant authorities also help them to fill any gaps.
