Oduduwa News

There has been indication that the disagreement over religious issues between Oyo State Government and Muslim Community might have taken a new dimension with recent allegation of marginalization of Muslims in some state schools alleged to have been carefully carried out by some secondary school principals in Oyo State.

ODUDUWA NEWS gathered that the Muslim Community has petitioned Oyo State Government over what it termed as ‘waging of war against Islam’ by some overzealous school principals.

The body strongly condemned alleged oppression of Muslims in education sector by officials of Oyo State Government under Governor Seyi Makinde, warning that the state is not a Christian Republic.

In an open letter signed by its Chairman – Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni and Secretary-General- Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade, Oyo State Muslim Community lamented that the government officials flagrantly trample on rights of Muslims in all sectors, with reckless abandonment by Governor Seyi Makinde.

The Muslim Community noted that Oyo State Teaching Service Commission is being used to oppress Muslims as the government’s patsies.

The letter cited rejection of Muslim teachers by Christian school principals, improper and discriminatory mass transfers of Muslim teachers, denial of Muslim schoolgirls from using Hijab and among other issues.

The letter reads in full:

REJECTION OF MUSLIM TEACHERS BY CHRISTIAN PRINCIPALS

MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF
OYO STATE

1st March, 2021

His Excellency,
Engr Oluseyi Makinde, FNSE
The Governor of Oyo State,
Secretariat-Ibadan.

OPEN LETTER TO H.E. GOV. SEYI MAKINDE: ENOUGH OF THIS IMPUNITY – MUSLIMS CAN TAKE THIS NO MORE

We have watched silently as Oyo State Govt officials trample on rights of Muslims in all sectors, with reckless abandon. It is not possible we continue to ‘siddon look’.

Haba! What do officials of government take us for? All these nonsense must stop immediately.

For now, in this treatise, we will limit ourselves to how the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission is being used to oppress Muslims as the government’s patsies.

IGBO ELERIN GRAMMAR SCHOOL HIJAB ISSUE

Information got to us that, the over-zealous Christian Principal of the school, with the fanatical nightmare that to get to Paradise, a Christian needs to oppress the Muslim in the name of spreading the gospel, to make heaven, single-handedly banned the use of hijab in the Community school, against the extant circular which allows use of hijab by Muslim girls in Community schools.

On hearing this, the Muslim Community, in obeisance to civility despatched a delegation to the school. When it met with a brick wall , we still went further for an audience with Chairman of the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission, Pastor Ayoade Alamu.

Pastor Alamu promised that within two weeks from the 11th February date of the meeting, he would resolve the matter and invite us for a feedback.

The two weeks lapsed on Thursday 25th February, 2021. He never got back to us. However, he has resolved the matter in his own way (probably as instructed by his boss, the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency , Engr Seyi Makinde).

How did he resolve it? He concluded in his mind that it must be the Muslim teachers that let the public know about atrocities committed against Islam in the school. Pronto ! He ordered that all Muslim teachers in the school should be transferred immediately

REJECTION OF MUSLIM TEACHERS BY CHRISTIAN PRINCIPALS

In the recent teachers recruitment exercise by TESCOM, no matter their teaching subject, even in areas of dire need, such as English, Mathematics, Physics etc, Muslim teachers posted to Christian-named schools are rejected and posted to Muslim-named or Community Schools.

Some of the schools where we have such issues include, among several others across the State : St Anne’s Grammar School, Molete-Ibadan; Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan; St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan; Anglican Commercial Grammar School, Orita-Mefa, Ibadan; (for ease of reference, only schools based in Ibadan are listed, for now).

Muslims are now like table tennis ball, tossed around anyhow by Christian imperialist Principals, definitely as smokescreens, acting the scripts of their paymaster, the Chairman of TESCOM, Pastor Alamu, on behalf of His Excellency.

The question on the lips of every Muslim is, do we now have a Christian Republic of Oyo State?

HIJAB ISSUE

For God’s sake, what does a Christian Principal lose when a Muslim female student in his school wears hijab? Why is it a burden for the principal? Is it a load placed on her head?

What do they gain from trampling upon the rights of the Muslims ? Why do they harass and physically assault a Muslim girl in hijab?

These are some of the questions begging for answers.

The current circular on use of hijab allows its use by female students in Muslim-named and Community Schools. Yet, many Christian Principals of Community Schools disallow it. A very near case is that of the new Principal of Prospect High School, Abanla -Ibadan, who met use of hijab in the school and decided on her own that, she would no longer tolerate it in her school.

It is the fundamental human right of every girl-child to be allowed to practice the tenets of her religion , which starts from covering her head as Islam compulsorily prescribes.

Therefrom, we ask that USE OF HIJAB BE ALLOWED IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NO MATTER HOW SUCH SCHOOLS ARE NAMED. This will engender religious harmony in State.

REMINDER : ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE OWNED BY GOVT

It is expedient to remind the powers that be, that all Public Schools in Oyo State are owned by the Government. It is this same Government that pays staff salaries. This is, without any controversy, the correct position

WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE LAW?

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chapter 4, Section 38 (i) and (ii) stipulates that:

‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance’

OUR POSITION

We hereby urge Your Excellency, Engr Seyi Makinde, the Governor of our dear State to stop
this discrimination against Muslims in their State, in all spheres, but particularly, for now, that we are addressing the Education Sector, among the innumerable injustices this government meets out to us, Muslims should not be treated as second-class citizens in their State. Oyo State is not a Christian Republic.

We are Peace advocates. But can there be Peace without Justice? Do Justice!

(SGD)
Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni (Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State)

(SGD)
Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade
(Secretary-General, Muslim Community of Oyo State)

Feud between the State Government and tertiary institutions in Oyo State said to have continued to wax stronger as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of ASUP, SSANIP, COEASU and SSUCOEN in five tertiary institutions have directed its members to embark on indefinite strike over the activities of Platinum Consultant.

This was contained in a communique released today by the JAC read below.

THE COMMUNIQUE OF JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE OF ASUP, COEASU, SSANIP AND SSUCOEN IN EACOED OYO, OYSCOED LANLATE, OYSCATECH, AOP ERUWA AND TOP SHAKI HELD AT OSCATECH IGBOORA ON MONDAY 1/3/2021.

Following the expiration of the three (3) day, (after the initial seven (7) day) ultimatum issued to The Government on the demands for the reversal of the aberrations of the operations of PLATINUM CONSULTANTS AND REFUSAL TO PAY ACCRUED ELEVEN (11) MONTHS MINIMUM WAGE ARREARS among other issues.
After exhaustive deliberations, the body considered issues thus:
Operations of Platinum Consultants
Members of the general public should please recall the patriotic efforts of JAC in raising her voice against the tyrannical attempts of the previous administration to destroy The Tertiary Institutions sector. JAC is not relenting in any ways in her determination to continue to resist any attempt to subvert the sanctity of the sector by introducing any measure that is alien and inimical to the smooth running of the schools. One of such aberrations and threats to the smooth running of the institutions is the illegal operations of the PLATINUM CONSULTANTS as an authorizing body for every spending by the institutions. A practice that is unknown to all laws establishing and guiding the smooth running of the institutions.
JAC as a civil body of erudite persons had made several entreaties to the present administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde to correct this abnormality in the past, all to no avail. Aside from the several independent civil approaches by JAC, we are also aware of similar fruitless efforts by other stakeholders in the sector.
JAC noted that the operations of the consultant is crippling academic activities in the institutions and might prevent the teaming youths of the state access to sound and qualitative education if this current trend is sustained.

*Accrued 11 months minimum wage arrears*
The body noted that The Government has failed to pay or give any committal towards the fulfillment of the contents of the January 13, 2021 agreement to totally defray the accrued minimum wage arrears from January to November 2020 minimum in not more than three (3) installments.

*Salary augmentation*
The reality of the overwhelming negative effects of the actions of the incumbent administration in forcing each institution to be responsible for continual defrayment of the monthly arrears of salaries incurred during the dark era of the previous administration and the new minimum wage are dawning on all of us, as a yoke that will eventually cripple the sector if not nipped in the bud. Against the misleading advice of Platinum Consultants to The Government, the reality is that no Institution can barely survive under this burden.

*RESOLUTION*
Haven fulfilled the requisite procedures for embarking on legitimate industrial such as seven (7) and three (3) days ultimatum to The Government and respective Governing Councils on the 15th and 24th of February 2021 respectively. It is rather unfortunate that despite all efforts by JAC to sustain the existing industrial harmony in the institutions, The Government is frustrating all efforts as it remains both unperturbed and unresponsive to all agitations up to the close of this meeting.
Following the foregoing, extensive consultations and arising from its meeting of Monday 1/3/2021, JAC hereby declares the immediate commencement of an INDEFINITE TOTAL STRIKE ACTION of all its members viz: ASUP, COEASU, SSANIP & SSUCOEN in TOP Shaki, EACOED Oyo, AOP Eruwa, OYSCATECH Igboora and OYSCOED Lanlate.
Thank you and God bless Oyo State.
Signed.

OYEWUMI S. Olusegun
Chairman.

Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho; the Are Ona Kankanfo, Gani Adams; and the Odua Peoples Congress under the leadership of Prince Segun Osinbote are set to launch a campaign against cows.

This is according to an advertorial published in The PUNCH on March 1, 2021.

The campaign, which is tagged ‘Anything But Cow Day’, will launch on Friday, March 5, 2021, and is being held in response to the South’s boycott by northern traders. The embargo has entered its 4th day.

The campaign, which is themed, ‘A one-day symbolic beef boycott towards terminating the cow pandemic- End COWVID-21′ is expected to trend on Twitter with the #endcowpandemic.org’ and will be streamed live on Odua Peoples Communications Youtube channel.

Meanwhile, the strike action embarked on by the cattle and foodstuffs dealers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria has entered its fourth day.

The strike, which involved closing all routes linking the North to the South, has dominated social media discussions.

The AUFCDN said at a press conference in Abuja on Monday that the Department of State Services had invited its leaders for blocking the supply of foodstuff and cattle from the North to the South.

The General Secretary, AUFCDN, Ahmed Alaramma, added that the President of the association, Mohammed Tahir, is currently with the DSS.

The blockade, which has entered its fourth day, was done in protest against the alleged killing of their South members.

They had also called on the Federal Government to pay them billions in compensation.

A middle-aged man, Hassan Saka has been arrested for being in possession of two human heads in Ondo State.

Saka was arrested on Monday by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the state.

The exhibits were discovered in a vehicle along Owo/Akure road, concealed in a brown carton.

The State Commander of NDLEA,  Haruna Gagara said the suspect will be handed over to the police.

The Spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Tee-Leo Ikoro confirmed that the suspect has been handed over to the police.

He noted that investigation is ongoing on the incident, adding that the suspect will soon be prosecuted.

The National Association of Nigerian Students NANS has suspended its proposed plan to shutdown tertiary institutions in Oyo State.

This was contained in a statement signed and released by the Chairman of NANS, Oyo State Chapter, Com. Opakunle Mayowa which reads in part:

“As the most ideological axis of the zone we believe in a diplomatic way of resolving issues no matter the amount of pressures and threats from several quarters we won’t deviate from the aims and objectives of our administration. We will keep up with our promises to deliver as at when due.

“After several rounds of consolidation, We are delighted to inform the Student Union Presidents of the schools operating under the PLATINUM institute and the entire Students populace of the pacesetter State, that a meeting has been initiated and it involves a representative of each bodies involved. This window was accepted as a means to dialogue with the stakeholders for all to find a lasting solution to the excesses experienced from exorbitant charges and other anomalies that came with the use of Platinum.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students, Oyo State axis regardless of our differences and the rumors of division and rancor from some quarters we will continue to represent the interest of students in the axis. We have proven several times beyond reasonable doubt that we are reasonable, articulate, and peace-loving Nigerian students and as such we believe in dialogue as a solution more than confrontation, most especially the current security situation of the country this is why we have always reserved the worse for latter.

“In lieu of this, we are suspending the proposed protest and we are pleading with all the supportive Student leaders in the axis that have started acting already, to please sheath their swords and allow the opening of their various campuses for activities and therefore anticipate a positive outcome from the meeting slated for Wednesday, 3rd March, 2021.

“We also use this medium to wish us all a happy new month, and pray that this month will usher us all into blessedness and fruitfulness in all our endeavors, and also bring peace and unity to every sectors of our beloved nation”.

NNPC Says No Increase in Fuel Price in March

…Cautions against Hoarding, Panic Buying

Contrary to speculations of imminent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has ruled out any increment in the ex-depot price of petrol in March, 2021.

A press release by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, stated that the Corporation was not contemplating any raise in the price of petrol in March in order not to jeopardize ongoing engagements with organized labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that will not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship.

NNPC also cautioned petroleum products marketers not to engage in arbitrary price increase or hoarding of petrol in order not to create artificial scarcity and unnecessary hardship for Nigerians.

The Corporation stated that it has enough stock of petrol to keep the nation well supplied for over 40 days and urged motorists to avoid panic buying.

It further called on relevant regulatory authorities to step up monitoring of the activities of marketers with a view to sanctioning those involved in products hoarding or arbitrary increase of pump price.

In a bid to further stem the spread of COVID-19 within the Public Service and other stakeholders, the Lagos State Government has further extended the work-from-home directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to personnel on Salary Grade Levels 12 and below.

A statement issued by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola expressed the government’s delight that measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID in the State has resulted in a steady decline in the number of recorded cases in the preceding weeks.

Muri-Okunola maintained that in order to sustain the success so far recorded, Mr. Governor has reviewed the directive to all Public Servants on Salary Grade Levels 12 and below for four weeks, with effect from Monday, 1st to Friday, 26th March 2021.

The HoS said the directive does not preclude any of the exempted Grade Levels from reporting for duty whenever the Accounting Officer deems it necessary.

His words: “All Public Servants are advised to continue to stay safe by observing all COVID-19 protocols such as Physical Distancing, regular use of face masks and hand hygiene. Also, Accounting Officers are to ensure strict adherence to all extant directives aimed to guarantee physical distancing in the workplace by preparation of weekly Duty Rosters as considered germane to effective service delivery in respective MDAs”.

Recall that Lagos State has witnessed a decline in the number of infections in the recent past due to the government’s regular updates on preventive measures as well as public enlightenment campaigns to create awareness about measures to stem the spread of the deadly virus.

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo state has alleged that some unnamed political associates of Governor Seyi Makinde and leaders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were the sponsors of the recent reported attacks on its members and officials at some venues of the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise in parts of the state warning them “to desist from such reprehensible acts”.

Media reports have it that some identified members of the outlawed Park Managers System (PMS), who were fully harmed with guns, machete and charms, stormed Aliwo location of Polling Units 05 and 06 of Ward 12 in Ibadan North East local government area in early hours of Tuesday and unleashed terror on residents of the area before carting away registration materials of the APC.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by the Secretary of the Oyo APC Committee on Media and Publicity, Olawale Sadare, the opposition party frowned at what it described as unwarranted and unprovoked attacks from the PDP elements “who must have been jolted by the rate at which the good people of the state are trooping to register as new APC members while old members also attach much importance to revalidation of their membership.

“We have had reports of violent attacks against our registration officials and members in places like Olagoke Akano Street of Ward 11 in Ibadan North East local government area, Academy area of Ward 06 in Egbeda, Iyana Bodija Market of Ward 05 in Lagelu, Orita Challenge in Ward 02 of Oluyole, Owode in Ward 06 of Ogbomoso North and many other places where political thugs were mobilized to the venues of the registration and revalidation exercise since the exercise began about two weeks ago.

Governor, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State approved the donation of an 18-seater bus to the Lanase Central Mosque, Aremo, Ibadan.

The governor, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Abdrasheed Abdul-Azeez said that the bus will greatly help the propagation of Islam in the state.

While presenting the bus, Abdul-Azeez said that the governor was highly appreciative of the support and prayers of the Islamic community to the success and stability of his administration thus far.

He also urged the Imam to continue to work for peaceful coexistence among all religions in the state.

The Governor’s aide said that the league of Imams and Alfa’s in the state has a duty to always preach peace and religious harmony, adding that by emphasising such in their sermons, the society will be better for all while the unity and oneness of the country will be enhanced.

According to him, economic growth of the state can only be guaranteed in an atmosphere where there
is tolerance and love, adding that people should support the success of the governor Seyi Makinde- led administration to enable a peaceful environment.

The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for victims of SARS and other related matters has decided to hear petitions filed against the Nigerian Army despite their absence yet again.

The panel had given the army authorities the last opportunity to appear before it on Saturday after failing to appear on four other occasions.

On January 30, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi had held that the petitions against the army would proceed even if they failed to show up.

At Saturday’s proceedings, the army was again absent and they were not represented by any counsel.

The panel moved on to hear the petition of a casual worker, Lucky Philemon who says he was shot by the army at the Lekki toll gate protest on the night of Oct 20, 2020.

He is demanding to be paid compensation of N200m as damages for the inconvenience of losing his limbs as well as another $50,000 for Prosthetic limbs.

Another eyewitness to the shooting on the night, Dabira Ayiuku, who described herself as one of the coordinators of the Lekki toll gate protest also testified on what she witnessed at the toll gate.

She testified that army officials shot at protesters sitting peacefully at the toll gate on the night of October 20.