HIJAB WAHALA: Kwara TESCOM Orders Principals, Teachers, Staff To Resume Immediately
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The Kwara Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) has directed principals, teachers and staff of the yet to be opened grant-aided mission schools to report at their respective schools today, Friday March 19th.
Malam Bello Abubakar, the Chairman of the commission, gave the order in a statement issued by TESCOM Press Secretary, Mr Peter Amogbonjaye, on Thursday, March 18th in Ilorin.
It quoted Abubakar as saying that the teachers’ resumption became necessary to prepare the final year students for their external examinations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that 10 affected grant-aided mission schools had been shut in Ilorin since Feb. 19, over the use of Hijab by Muslim female students.
The State Government had directed resumption on March 8, allowing the use of Hijab by willing female students after meeting with stakeholders, but rescinded the decision for safety reasons.
In furtherance, the government announced reopening of the schools on March 17, but was met with resistance by some Christian faithful, thus the controversy.
This led to violence in some of the schools on Wednesday, which took the intervention of security personnel to control.
However, two days after government’s pronouncement on resumption, the schools remained locked with the exception of ECWA Secondary School, Oja Iya,
The statement quoted TESCOM chairman as saying that any staff that failed to report to duty would face the full wrath of the law as government will not condone any act of insubordination.
”He also warned all stakeholders against taking laws into their hands, stressing that peace meeting continues between the government and the stakeholders.
”He explained that the government regretted the inconveniences the shutdown might caused the students, saying that the action was taken in the interest of peace.
”He also appealed to parents and the members of the public to remain calm as the government is on the top of the situation since its meeting with stakeholders is still ongoing,” the statement read in part.
NAN reports that the 10 schools include C&S College Sabo-Oke; St. Anthony’s Secondary school, Offa Road; ECWA School, Oja Iya; Surulere Baptist Secondary School and Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam.
Others are CAC Secondary School, Asa Dam road; St. Barnabas Secondary School, Sabo-Oke; St. John School Maraba; St. Williams Secondary School Taiwo Isale, and St. James Secondary School, Maraba.
