Christian students in Osun public schools will start wearing Christian garments if Governor Rauf Aregbesola implements the recent state High Court judgment in favour of wearing hijab by Muslim students.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola
The Osun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) handed down the threat in a communiqué by its chairman, Rev. Elijah Ogundiya at the end of an emergency meeting in Osogbo on Tuesday.
The meeting attracted heads of blocs and churches with deliberation solely on the outcome of the Hijab case with particular reference to the June 3, 2016 judgment of Hon. Justice Saka Falola of the Osun State High Court.
The communiqué reads:”CAN states that it finds itself unable to agree with the judgment in its entirety as we have reasons to believe that it represents a study in premeditated adjudication that runs against the printed grain of legal submissions made before him.
“We have unanimously decided to appeal the judgment. Specifically speaking, Justice Saka Falolo, deeply violated the principle of fair hearing when he refused and or failed to hear, let alone rule, one way or the other, on the application for a joinder in the case properly filed and brought to his attention in open court by interested parties whose schools were taken over forcefully by the government and stood to be affected by the judgment he later proceeded to deliver.
“Further, Justice Falola made an ancillary order, which was not based, anchored or premised on any submission or prayer canvassed by the parties before him thereby saying by way of the ancillary order, that the Muslim female students hijab shall be in the colour and design already approved by the 1st - 3rd respondents and currently in use by Muslim female students in public schools.
”That the government be wary about giving effect to this judgment which we suspect was masterminded by Aregbesola a la work-to-rule mode in line with his Islamisation agenda, which was earlier stated by the Directorate of Military Intelligence in 2012 based on credible intelligence and corroborated by CAN in 2014.
“Where the Osun State Government is inclined to implementing the judgment Christian students in all public schools founded by Christians with the toil and sweat of our forefathers in the faith will have no choice but to start wearing Christian garments and vestments as part of their school uniforms for the propagation of our faith given the Justice Saka Falola declared right of Muslim Female students to do same as what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander as well.
“Adherents of other faiths who have their choice to make in this matter can wear theirs as well. We urge the Osun State House of Assembly to rise to the occasion as we find their silence on a matter of public interest this clearly capable of dividing the satte, the security services, the civil service, the market women, school students and all citizens along religious fault lines rather disturbing.
“It presents the Osun State Assembly as complicit in the putting together of the ticking and soon-to-explode time-bomb.
CAN called on the presidency, National Assembly and the international community to intervene in the situation before it escalates beyond control.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola
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