TheCable

The Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church has rejected the use of hijab by female students in its school in Kwara state.

The church disclosed its position in a statement by Samuel Abidoye, chairman and spiritual father of the C & S Movement worldwide.

On February 26, the state government approved the use of hijab in all public and grant-aided schools in the state.

Rejecting the position of the government, Abidoye said the church is responsible for the appointment of the management of the institution, and it decides on dress code and use of berets.

In an address read by Elijah Fabiyi, acting chairman of the Cherubim and Seraphim Ilorin district headquarters,  Abidoye urged the state government to return schools built by the church “to forestall unnecessary trespass capable of leading to the breakdown of law and order in the state”.

“We vehemently say no hijab in our mission schools. We also like to reiterate that we have our church on the college compound, hence the use of hijab will cause disunity,” he said.

“It suffices to state that moral values that the church is noted for and which prompted the establishment of the college is seriously being eroded and necessitated the desire to take over our college.

“The grant aid by the state government started in 1974, and we need to state that ever since then, the government had no hand in the maintenance, except the payment of salary.

“On the agreement on the aid, it was agreed that the church will be responsible for the appointment of principal, vice-principal, etc., and also decide on dress code, that is, school uniforms, including beret.

“To talk on our tolerance, the school, it will be recalled, had produced notable and credible Nigerians who are Muslims and who were never converted or forced to embrace our faith.

“We like to emphasise that we are a peace-loving group and will continue to toe that line, and that will not stop us from asking and demanding for our right.”

However, Hamzat AbdulRaheem, chairman of the Muslim stakeholders forum in Kwara, said the state government’s decision on the use of hijab by female students must be respected to allow peace reign in Kwara.

“What the Christian brothers and sisters are carrying to the whole world is false. There are many Christian private schools in the state that Muslims can’t enforce the use of hijab, but that of public schools is different,” AbdulRaheem said.

He advised the Cherubim and Seraphim Church to either abide by the government’s decision or request for the takeover of the school with the sharing of its assets and liabilities.

Meanwhile, other church leaders, including the Kwara state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have rejected the government’s new directive on the use of hijab.