Baptist Church urges Kwara government to reopen school shut amid hijab crisis

President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. Israel Akanji, has appealed to Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to reopen Oyun Baptist Secondary School, which was shut down over the hijab controversy.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, yesterday, on the coming 109th session of the yearly Nigerian Baptist Convention, the cleric said hijab had never been a part of the school’s dress code, and that in the pursuit of peace, “it is not supposed to be imposed on the school.”

He pleaded that the school should be reopened to allow students to write the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).

“The Baptist denomination (like other churches) has been providing education in Nigeria for 167 years in every part of the country, spanning primary, secondary and tertiary levels. It is expected that the cordiality and inclusiveness of our operations are respected and the state government, which promised to find a lasting solution to the hijab crisis, should not look away from the school, which has remained shut till now,” he stated.

Speaking further, he urged Christians to register, obtain their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and vote for transformational leaders in 2023, noting that the church has left the rhetoric of ‘politics is a dirty game’.

Noting the theme of the convention as ‘Entering into newness with praise and thanksgiving”, he disclosed that the convention would hold for spiritual renewal and re-commitment to God; reporting stewardship; fellowship with God and one another; prayer to address the nation’s insecurity, economic challenges and 2023 general elections.

The convention is slated for April 23 to 28 2022 at the Baptist International Conference Centre, Lafuwape Town, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, The Guardian gathered.