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‘Why religious groups should promote harmony among adherents’

By Editor
09 September 2016   |   3:27 am
The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit (MSSN Lagos) has called on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to counsel its members on how to promote religious harmony in the country.
Amir (President) of the MSSN Lagos, Saheed Ashafa

Amir (President) of the MSSN Lagos, Saheed Ashafa

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit (MSSN Lagos) has called on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to counsel its members on how to promote religious harmony in the country.

This admonition, according to MSSN Lagos, becomes necessary in view of the alleged molestation of a female Muslim candidate writing the current examination of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Khadijat Eniola Anisere.

Last Friday, a female supervisor of WAEC allegedly assaulted Khadijat when she went to take Biology examination at Egan Grammar School, Igando, Lagos State.

When representatives of the MSSN Lagos State Area Unit visited the centre on Monday, it was confirmed that the student was assaulted.

The delegation of the MSSN Lagos also reported that WAEC also sent some of its officials to confirm the incident.

Reacting to the assault, Amir (President) of the MSSN Lagos, Saheed Ashafa, condemned it, saying that the psychological effect caused by the assault could hardly be quantified.

According to Ashafa, assaults on Muslim candidates during major examinations are becoming rampant.

Meanwhile, WAEC authority has distanced itself from the action of the supervisor, stating that candidates who put on the hijab are not prevented from taking any of its examinations.In a statement, Head, Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu reiterated that the council does not prevent candidates from taking the examination with their hijab.

The statement reads: “The Council wishes to state that no attempt has ever been made to prevent female Muslim candidates from wearing hijab to sit for its examinations. It has always been the practice of the Council to allow all female Muslim candidates, who wishes to register for the WASSCE, wearing hijab, to do so.“If we can allow them to register for the WASSCE wearing hijab, how can we prevent them from writing the examination in that same attire?“We just concluded the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2016 that had over one million candidates and there was no such report of a female Muslim candidate being prevented from writing the examination because she was wearing hijab.“The Council wishes to reassure all its stakeholders that it respects the fundamental right to freedom of religion of every citizen and will not do anything to infringe on such. ”

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