The Bank of Industry (BoI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iwo community in Osun toward boosting local production of fabrics using cotton sourced from local farmers. The Acting Managing Director of the Bank, Mr Waheed Olagunju, and the traditional ruler of Iwo land, Oba Adewale Akanbi, sealed the deal last Saturday
Osun State House of Assembly has said that the recently launched Standardised Weight and Measure by the state government would restore consumer confidence and boost commercial activities in the state.
In a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Assembly described the initiative as a right step in the right direction.
According to him, the measure would guarantee fairness and honesty in business transactions in the state and would in turn encourage people from other neighbouring states to want to come to Osun for commercial venture.
It stressed that there is no transaction that can be conducted to the mutual satisfaction of the parties involved unless each is assured that the other is fair and honest.
The Assembly added that the traditional modes of measurements that market operators were used to had encourage cheating, hence, dragging the improvement of the economy, not only in Osun, but also in other parts of the country.
It added that the compliance with the Standardised Weight and Measure would, by extension, boost the Internally Generated Revenue of the state government.
The Assembly said, it would assist the government in its efforts towards making the state a regional hub for trade and commerce.
It also stressed that, apart from its benefit to the economy of the state, the new measure is hygienic-friendly, as it would not allow for exposure of goods to flies and dust.
Security agencies in Osun State held an emergency meeting Thursday to find ways of curtailing possible fallouts of an ongoing controversy over the use of hijab in public schools.
The meeting was held at the office of the state Director of Security Services, Ike Madagwana, with the state police commissioner, Femi Olanipekun, representatives of the state government, Sunday Akere and Wale Afolabi, both former commissioners, in attendance.
Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), representative of Baptist Church in the state, other paramilitary organizations in the state.
The state’s Christian Association of Nigeria is opposed to the use of hijab by female Muslim students in public secondary schools, especially those established by churches.
A recent court ruling authorised the uniform. In response, CAN directed Christian students to attend schools in church garments.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Thursday’s meeting, which lasted for several hours, generated hot exchanges between the security officials and representatives from the Baptist Church.
The arguments started when Baptist officials made it clear that it was inappropriate for the security agencies to invite them for the meeting, asserting that only CAN could summon them to such meetings to discuss the hijab issue.
Members of the Baptist team said they were not informed about such meeting, but were only invited by the Director of SSS, who had informed them that he wanted to see the church’s officials.
“We wondered how ‘We just want to see you in our office’ could now turn to be an unexpected meeting,” one of the clergymen, who would want to be named, said.
“We were even surprised that all the security outfits in the state had already gathered at the place waiting for our arrival.
“We declined to sit with them as we told them that only CAN officials could meet us. How can they say that they want to see us in their office and organize a meeting that we were not aware of with us.
“After a lot of persuasion by all security agencies that gathered there, we sat with them and when the issue of hijab was raised, we only told them that we were not for war but for peace anytime, any day, but our own right also should not be taken away from us.
“To our own knowledge, it is not a meeting but invitation to see the SSS in their office before we met all those assembled in preparation to have a meeting with us. If there will be a meeting let them communicate with CAN officials.”
After the session, state police commissioner, Mr. Olanipekun, told journalists that there was a peaceful meeting between the Christian body and the security agencies in the state to restore peace between Christians and Muslims.
He stated the Christian body was charged to live in harmony with Muslims in the state and was assured that same talks would be held with the Muslim body.
Source : Premium Times
Much has been said in recent times about the wearing of Hijab and Church robes to school by pupils in public schools in the state of Osun, however, what has apparently been missing in the discussion is the availability of facts and logic for discussants to analyze the true situation of things before passing their opinions.
Before going to the crux of matter, let me lay a background of the true situation of things as regards the recent hullaballoo amongst groups that purport to represent the interest of diverse religious groups in the state of Osun. We have Christians represented by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); Muslims, represented by the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN); the government, led by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and other interested parties in the case.
The religious conflict got to a crescendo last week when an Osun State High Court judge, Justice Jide Falola, delivered a judgment in favour of a case instituted by the MSSN against the state government on the right of female Muslim students in state public schools to wear Hijab to their various classes. The judge declared the wearing of Hijab in public schools by female Muslim pupils as legal and appropriate.
The Muslims had dragged the state government headed by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to court over the refusal of some ‘Christians’ public schools to allow their female students wear the Hijab. After the judgment, CAN Osun State Chapter instructed Christian pupils to wear church robes to school if the state government dare implement the judgment.
To cut the long story short, some five students, following the instruction of the CAN leaders, wore church robes to school this week. In fact, the CAN leaders followed the pupils to schools to make sure they weren’t turned back for wearing their church robes (never mind they haven’t carried out such an action over the failure of some Christian pupils after their examinations).
Interestingly, a similar suit by the Muslim group in Lagos had failed to see the light of the day as the judge, Justice Modupe Onyeabor, rule that the prohibition of the wearing of Hijab over school uniforms within and outside the premises of public schools was not discriminatory. According to her, the ban does not violate Sections 38 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution as claimed by the plaintiffs. The Judge also said Section 10 of the Constitution made Nigeria a secular state and that government must maintain neutrality at all times. Justice Onyeabor held that the government had a duty to preserve the secular nature of the institutions concerned as argued by the then Lagos State Solicitor-General, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN).
The Muslims in Lagos has since proceeded to the Court of Appeal where it is yet to be determined. Why should the case of Osun CAN be different? Aren’t they supposed to be the salt and light of the earth? Aren’t they supposed to be leading by example? Rather than take the legal route, CAN in the state of Osun resorted to self-help, asking students to disobey school rules by wearing unapproved uniforms. The Christians based their argument on one point; the Muslims cannot be allowed to wear hijab in ‘Christian schools’.
By Edict No. 14 of 1975, the then military government took over private/missionary schools because, according to available records, “the owners charged exorbitant fees and did not give quality education to students. School buildings were of substandard structures, unqualified teachers were employed, teaching and learning materials were inadequate while classrooms were over-crowded.”
This was the summary of the situation of privately owned schools that prompted the takeover of all such schools in 1975. It should be mentioned here however that the findings of the Western State Government in 1975, was not at variance with, but a replica of one common feature of the reports of the various Educational Review Committees set up at different times in the old three main regions of Nigeria. These include the Oldman’s Report in the old North, Dike’s Report of the old East, and Banjo’s Report of the Western Region. The reports of the various committees intensely reflected the acute immobility that had characterized the inherited colonial system that involved prejudice, high handedness, religious discrimination in pupils’ enrolment, staff recruitment and the general administration of schools. Read more here.
In fact, the “Takeover of schools Validation Decree” of 1977, which still remains in force, states that, “the hold of government on those schools has afforded the government to be able to provide sustained education to the mass majority of the Nigerian public at an affordable cost, without RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION AND BIAS”.
What this means is that there are no Christian or Muslim schools in Osun. There are only PUBLIC schools. The government back in 1976 resolved to keep the names given by the missionaries. That is why you have public schools bearing names such as Ede Muslim Grammar School, Baptist High School, Adeeke, Iwo, etc. The schools may bear religious names, but they belong to the government/public. It is being financed with public funds. Most of the schools now wear new look,with modern learning equipment paid for by ALL citizens of Osun, which include Christians, Muslims, Traditional Worshippers, Agnostic and Atheists alike.
Therefore, the schools the Christians are laying claim to are government schools. They were acquired from diverse sources; religious, individuals, communities, groups, etc in 1975. That is, 41 years ago. But for the five students of Baptist High School, Adeeke, Iwo, many Christian pupils in Osun ignored the CAN leadership, toeing the path of decorum and civility. In truth, the school where the orchestrated drama took place housed three schools with combined population of about 3000 students and we saw no other student wear unapproved garments to school.
Even though Ogbeni had reiterated his stand on the matter, when he said at an event earlier this week that, “It is not the business of any government, through the schools, to lead a child in a particular religious direction. That will be for parents and religious institutions, in private capacity, until the child is grown enough to make a decision on religion.
He said, “The government cannot support or be seen to be supporting a particular religion. The government is a democracy, not a theocracy. I believe also that parents and society should complement the government in shaping the minds of the pupils to be receptive to knowledge and godly character formation; to be sensitive to the need of others, the plurality of our society and the imperative of mutual toleration. They should also be brought up to be team players, even when in a competitive environment. It amounts to subversion of the educational needs of a child for them to be drawn into and used for political purposes.”
Despite this reassurance from the state governor, CAN went ahead to carry out its provocative threat. Going forward, the motives of the CAN leaders in Osun must be questioned. In whose interest are they acting? For most part, CAN played and is still playing the role of government opposition rather than a pious body meant to instill morals and discipline on many of its followers who look up to it for leadership. A body like CAN ought to at ALL times, promote peace and harmony, rather than seek through the back door, what it could have easily achieved in a court of law.
Thank God other citizens did not take laws into their hands. Imagine if the traditional worshippers – many of whom are in abundance in Osun – decide to start wearing traditional robes such as Bante, Ifunpa, Ofi, etc. Or imagine for a minute, adherents of Osun religion begin demanding wearing of white uniforms only, with white beads to school? Or, children of Sango worshippers, in another instance, insist on wearing red caps to school, with earrings in the ears of their boys?
Muslims have been wearing Hijab to schools since God knows when. As a Christian, it doesn’t hinder my faith or ability to learn. If the CAN leadership has a problem with it, they should approach the law courts, rather than embark on actions that could cause disaffection amongst the peace loving people of Osun.
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Ileowo Kikiowo is the Chief Strategist at Revamp Media.
The Chief Missioner of Ansar-Ud- Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Ahmed, has cautioned against heating the polity over the Christians Association of Nigeria’s (CAN) reaction to the court judgment that permitted female Muslim students to wear hijab to school.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, Sheikh Ahmed said if CAN is not comfortable with the court pronouncement, it should go to the appellate court, instead of doing things that undermine the religious harmony that existed in the state. Excerpts…
CAN is accusing Osun State government of wanting to cause religious crisis in the state, what is your opinion on this?
To wear the hijab or not is a very simple matter. It is being over politicised. The partisanship of religions in Osun State is rubbing off very heavily and negatively on the religious harmony that had existed between Muslims and Christians in the state.
One thing we must steer clear off is playing politics with religion either as individuals, or at the level of the family, the state and country. Nigeria is blessed because it’s a very diverse country. Our philosophy has been live and let live. The way I dress should not affect you and the way you dress should also not affect me. Barring that, the rule of decency and good conscience is observed.
If I wear Agbada and you put on turban it shouldn’t detract from my humanity; it doesn’t infringe on anyone at all.
At the Nigeria Inter Religious Council, this is what we strive to promote, not to involve our cultural identity into one, but with respect and regard for the diversity that we represent.
I’m yet to see how a student dressed in Hijab is infringing on the rights of others. In real life, we do not dress the same way. What we are practicing is secularity not secularism. Distinction must be made; secularity is a deliberate state policy to create a level playing field for everyone, and making no one suffer any disadvantage as a result of his religious conviction.
In the US military, there was a Sikh person by religion and you identify Sikhs by their turban.Just recently, the US Army allowed him to wear his turban over his uniform. Even in countries that pride themselves as secular like the UK and US, you find military men, policemen and women with their religious identity. We just need to be tolerant of one another and be honest with ourselves. We should stop unnecessary heating up of the polity because we will not go anyway with that. If you exercise the right that is peculiar to you, should I find an equivalent? For instance, if you carry an ivory stick because you are an Igbo chief, must I now insist that I must also carry the cow horn? It doesn’t make sense because it is not rooted in my culture but carrying an ivory staff is rooted in the Igbo culture. If I put feather on my cap, people would ask me, what mode of dressing is this because it is not my culture. We can only progress if we avoid all these narrowness and bigotry.
Everyone knows that Hijab is part and parcel of the dressing of female Muslim, guided by her faith. I don’t see an issue here. In real life we dress differently.
What does this portend?
It will lead to further intolerance. In Osun, it is the same people who have lived and are very happy to live together. Even in Iwo where women cover their faces and have lived like that forever and there has not been any issue. So, what is bringing this? It is nothing but politics, which must be excused in its totality.
Will it not amount to a mockery of the judiciary that made the pronouncement?
It has implications for us as a people and for law and order. I think the proper thing as law-abiding citizens to do is that if there is any court ruling that didn’t go down well with you, you should go to the appeal court.
I don’t think, unless there is any evidence to the contrary that it has anything to do with the state government.
Individuals took the state government to court and there was a judgment delivered. So, it is an invitation to anarchy if people disobey court order when there is a normal channel to go on appeal. It is an affront to the judiciary.
What is the solution to this problem?
It is simple. Let us all be law-abiding. If there is a problem, the courts are there. You cannot disagree with the court and do what is contrary to the ruling of that court. If you are dissatisfied, go and appeal the judgment.
For instance in Rivers State, after the court judgment that Wike was duly elected and Peterside disagreed and relocated the headquarters of Rivers to wherever, it was going to breed anarchy. Respecting court judgment is the only way we can have peace.
Those who are calling for distortions are those who would not take recourse to the judiciary to address their grievances. They are not ultimately religious people. They do not behave like religious people, they are thugs. But I believe they are not thugs. They are supposed to be religious people and are supposed to respect constituted authority. In case they are not satisfied, the courts are there, and I don’t know what examples they want to set for others.
This is a state where workers have not received salaries for months, and they have been pitched against one another, doesn’t it justify your position that the political elites are marginalising the people?
Sometimes it is intriguing how we behave and react to issues. Our nation is going through crises now and most of the crises are self-inflicted. We must be honest, and we don’t have business being where we are today. I saw the footage about the Osun school, the students are not fighting, they are not enemies to one another. The students are being used. They are pawns in the chessboard of the politicians. They are not at each other’s throat. The issue has nothing to do with them.
It is a serious issue in Osun State and in Nigeria, making a serious issue out of how a student should dress leaves much to be desired. There is more to it than meet the eyes.
This hijab issue started during the Aregbesola administration, and CAN has accused him of trying to Islamise the state?
There was a time in Osun when the governor was a Christian, the deputy was a Christian as well as the Speaker of the House, and nobody said that Oyinlola was Christianising the state. Nobody ever said that. This Islamising and Christianising which are the new words in our lexicon, do not matter to the poor people. The most important thing is for them to live a comfortable life. These political impostors are friends. What is important to them is to divide the people, but there is nothing dividing them, all of them are one and the same. They should stop deceiving the people. If there are scores to settle, they should do so among themselves and stop hiding under religion to perpetrate all the atrocities. It has nothing to do with religion. The people are not involved. it is the infection of the elites who are disgruntled and looking for relevant.
After months of serene emptiness and bewilderment occasioned by economic adversity, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo came alive, with people attending the epoch-making launch of “Osuwon Omoluabi”-the re-introduction of the culture of Standard Weights and Measures as the basis of commodity sales transactions after many years of guesswork purchasing.
This culture-changing event consistent with the vision enunciated by Governor Rauf Aregbesola in his famous “Six-Point Integral Action Plan” for the State’s accelerated and orderly development drew a large crowd of residents determined to put behind them the hard times and embark on the march toward expected economic recovery.
The official launch on June 15, 2016 of “Osuwon Omoluabi” and its compulsory use will ensure that buyers get value-for-money in these lean times. With this important step toward equity, weights and measures of quantities of goods sold and bought in markets of Osun, whether solid or liquid, bulk and retail commodities can now be verified and uniformity of standard ensured throughout the State.
The Introduction and use of 40,000 units of “Osuwon Omoluabi”in all markets in Osun will eliminate sharp practices, haggling and quarreling, introduce uniformity and make equivalent quantities of goods sold predictable, thus ending the short-changing of buyers while ensuring that sellers get a fair return on their sales. This will reinforce state government’s drive for honesty and integrity in matters of trade and attract more buyers to the State, thus reinforcing the Osun Brand reputation.
Thus, the State Government’s insistence on compulsory usage of this Scale in all markets marks a turning point in the life of the people of Osun, and indeed the South West of Nigeria. Yorubaland had an ancient practice of ensuring through counting that a fixed number of pieces of goods equivalent to One Penny was used as the basis of sales transactions of food items but it fell into disuse long ago and no decent replacement was found for this reliable age-old system.
This system was so effective that it ensured that even when a seller was absent, goods could be bought by simply placing a Penny coin next to the sample of goods displayed for sale and the goods collected.
As it is well known, what cannot be measured cannot be managed: These transactions favoured the clever and more psychological prepared seller but created a massive problem of standards and integrity which we now live with and has become the bane of our development. It has created a vicious circle of exploitation, resistance and unpredictability where people cannot plan their expenditure with reasonable assurance, and this gradually led to pervasive corruption and integrity gradually vacated the markets and this erosion eventually crept into all transactions.
The launch of “Osuwon Omoluabi” at the beginning of the Ramadan fasting when all Muslims are enjoined to embrace the spirit of repentance, sacrifice and piety, the government’s message that business transactions should be done with honesty and integrity should sink deep into hearts and minds, just as the Holy Quran enjoins
“And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with even balance, that is good and the best interpretation”- Quran 17 vs 35. Christians are in like manner reminded that “a false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight-Proverbs 11 vs 1. Now is the right time to end the perverse tradition of deceitful bargaining in our daily life, a throw-back to the age of the Barter Trade with all its disadvantages and embrace a new era of progress when we can be confident that transactions come with integrity because the standards of measurement and weights are the same everywhere.
To change this nationally damaging habit, there is a need to institute and enforce the strict use of Standards, Weights and Measures, and enforce price control for all goods traded in Nigeria, imported and locally made. All things are learnt and remain only by habit. We can reprogramme the behavior of Nigerians only when we cultivate and enforce new habits of honesty, integrity, love and care for our neighbours.
Introducing standards, weights and measures into daily transactions will help to educate our people and practically translate the theoretical mensuration taught in schools to daily life realities. Settling the issue of quantitative integrity will free us to concentrate on the more substantial issue of Quality, the final basis of integrity on our way to getting rid of substandard products that are soon spoilt and end up as pollutants and litters everywhere in Nigeria.
Keeping to the strict use of Standards, Weights and Measures will enable citizens get value for money and help the Naira to appreciate in value over time as Nigeria and Nigerians get used to this new way of life and acquire a new image and reputation of being trustworthy partners.
By instigating and initiating this effort, the Ministry of Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment of the Stat of Osun has pioneered a major grassroots effort to change the thinking of Nigeria by first changing our deeply ingrained habits.
Rt Hon. Najeem Salaam, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, has appealed to Christian and Muslim leaders in the state not to allow court judgment on wearing of hijab in public schools to lead to crisis in the state. Salaam, in an interview on Friday in Osogbo, said the religious leader should not allow the issue to create enmity between the two religions.
The Muslim community in the state in 2013 instituted a case against the state government on the right of female Muslim students in public schools to use hijab on their school uniforms. A high court in its judgment on the case on June 3, granted female Muslim students the right to be wearing hijabs. But the state Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) faulted the judgment and vowed to appeal it. CAN further said that it would direct Christian students in public schools to be wearing church garments to schools to propagate their faith if the state government implemented the judgment.
Since the court Judgment on the issue, female Muslim students have been wearing hijab on their school uniform, while Christians students were also wearing church garments on their uniform as directed by CAN. Salaam, however, appealed to Christian leaders to seek redress in the court if they are not satisfied with the judgment.
“We have been enjoying peace in the state and the issue of hijab should not be allowed to cause crisis in the state. “We have been living together as brothers and sisters peacefully in the state and we should not allow anything to cause disunity among us. “l want to seek the indulgence of Christian community to kindly seek redress in the court if they are not satisfy with the judgment.
“The issue is not a political matter, but rather a legal issue which I want to appeal to our Christian brothers to address legally. “There is law in the society and judiciary is very key and important to the development of democracy in the country.’’ Salaam said the judgment was not in any way influenced by government, adding that the judiciary is an independent body.
The Osun State Government has described the activities of some Fulani herdsmen as the biggest security challenge facing the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Olajumoke Bello, spoke on Friday at a forum organised by the Justice Development and Peace Makers’ Centre with the theme, “Peaceful coexistence in a democratic society: The challenge of herdsmen in focus.”
The permanent secretary, whose address was read by Mrs. O.A. Oni, said the destruction of farms and attacks on innocent persons by some herdsmen could be stopped if all stakeholders decided to find a peaceful means of addressing the issue.
Bello said, “The greatest security challenge facing Nigeria now is the attack by some herdsmen.
“But I want to applaud the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for the foresight he had to have set up a committee on the peaceful coexistence between Hausa/Fulani/Bororo (herdsmen) and the Yoruba in the state since 2014.
“There is no doubt that the setting up of the committee has greatly helped the state in having very minimal/no record of herdsmen attacks on our crops let alone farmers or individuals in Osun State.”
The Secretary of Osun State chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Oladapo Kolawole, said many farmers had become bankrupt as a result of destruction of their farms by herdsmen.
