The Evangelical Church Winning All and the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion have disowned the claim made that they have agreed to the Kwara State government’s directive for the use of hijab by Muslim female students in their schools.
The two churches have schools among the 10 involved in the hijab controversy in the state.
Oja-Iya, and Bishop Smith Memorial College are two of ECWA’s schools affected.
The Chairman, ECWA District Church Councils, Rev. (Dr.) Vincent Akintunde, said the issue of hijab was subtly introduced by Muslim groups into a case of ownership of the schools which is still pending in court.
Rev. Akintunde said: “We would like to put the records straight by asserting that ECWA is totally against the use of hijab in our grant-aided mission schools. We wish to inform the general public that our initial concern was not the use of hijab, but ownership of the schools. Muslim groups subtly introduced the issue of hijab to the case to distract us from our primary concern, even while the matter is still pending in the Supreme Court.
“We consider the re-opening of the 10 grant-aided mission schools and the permission to use hijab by government as premature, ill-motivated and gross violation of the rule of law.”
On their part, the Anglican church also insisted that it would not change the doctrines of the church and the foundation laid by the founding fathers of their school.
Archbishop Israel Amoo of Kwara Anglican Diocese warned security agencies not to turn Kwara into an Islamic State and to refrain from taking sides in the matter.
