Osun govt invites protesting students’ parents to meeting

The Osun State government has invited parents of pupils of Baptist High School, Iwo who were involved in a protest over the use of hijab to a meeting in Osogbo, the state capital.

The meeting , scheduled to hold today at 4.00 pm is to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

According to the government’s preliminary investigation, 92 of the 2,500 pupils were involved in the protest.

The government also said that it will set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the disturbance.

The governor’s media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon said the panel will comprise representatives of the relevant organisations such as the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Schools (ANCOPS), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Parents Teachers Association and community leaders with the officials of the Ministry of Education.

The government said it recognised that protest is a legitimate avenue for registering grievances in a democracy but noted that it must be peaceful and decent.

However, the government said it will not condone acts of indiscipline in any form from any quarters.

Meanwhile, the Osun Baptist Conference (OBC) has asked the invited parents and guardians to shun the meeting.

The Conference gave the order in a communique by the President of OBC, Rev. Paul Oluwole after the end of the Conference’s executive committee meeting.

The Conference said it had the support of the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state to ask parents and teachers to shun the planned meeting.

It, therefore, asked Christian students to continue to wear religious garments to their schools.

The communique reads in part: “That the Baptist community in Osun State and Iwo community is vehemently opposed to the use of hijab in Baptist High School, Iwo.

“That no parents and students be invited to Osogbo under any guise to intimidate the parents and their wards rather if there is any information to be passed, it should be through the normal channel such as the school authorities or the Parents Teachers Association.

“That in view of our observation that the wearing of hijab in Baptist High School appears to have the backing of the state government, we hereby also authorise and mandate all our Christian students to wear their religious garments.”