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“The security guards insisted that the University is a Christian University and does not permit Hijabs on their premises and as such the candidates could not enter. Some candidates removed their Hijabs in order to gain entry, while Maryam the daughter of Mr. Olayode, and two others who did not remove their hijabs were denied entry”
*Bishop David Oyedepo, the owner and Visitor to Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State
PEGASUS REPORTERS, LAGOS | APRIL 1, 2023
The Covenant University owned by Bishop David Oyedepo took religious intolerance a notch higher on Friday when the school authorities instructed the security at the main gate to disallow Muslim female students wearing hijabs from entering the compound where the CBT Mock examinations took place.
A concerned parent who watched as the students were selectively refused entry into the complex spoke with a few of the distraught students who confirmed that they were barred from attending the exams because of the hijab they wore. Attempts to speak with the security personnel were rebuffed as one of them told the parent that the student should know that “this is a Christian school and we are acting on instruction from above-named”
Reacting to the ugly situation, the Hijab Advocacy Right Initiative was contacted on the issue sent in this statement regarding the refusal of the Muslim girls to take the exams in the University centre.
Signed by Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, Executive Director, Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, the body called on the JAMB Registrar to look into this violation of the rights of our girls simply because they professed a faith different from Christianity. The statement from HRAI reads as follows:
“We at Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative got a distress call this morning at 07:25 am from the father of a candidate Mr. A. A Olayode, that his daughter and several other candidates wearing Hijab were denied from entering Covenant University Ota, Ogun State, their CBT centre for the Mock Jamb examinations.
“He stated that he tried to explain to the security guards that as a National Examination, candidates were posted there by the examination body and thus should be allowed to write their exams.
“The security guards insisted that the University is a Christian University and does not permit Hijabs on their premises and as such the candidates could not enter. Some candidates removed their Hijabs in order to gain entry, while Maryam the daughter of Mr. Olayode, and two others who did not remove their hijabs were denied entry.
“Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative swung into action and contacted JAMB immediately. The Centre Coordinator at Covenant University CBT centre was contacted and he joined the denied candidates at the gate and promptly let them in.
“The exam started at 7 am and the candidates were let in at 7:48 am. At the time of this report, we are not clear if candidates could eventually write their CBT exams after being denied entry for about an hour or if they’ll be given extra time to complete the same, given that this is a computerized exam that is automated.
“We at Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative find it necessary to reiterate that the Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion is a fundamental right as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution as amended, and the Hijab is a practical application of this right as ruled by the Supreme Court judgment of Asiyat Abdulkareem vs Lagos State Government
“It is important that institutions that do not wish to conform to the JAMB guidelines on the conduct of National Examinations should refrain from applying to be CBT centres as they are remunerated for performing this service.
“While we thank JAMB for acting promptly and avoiding a religious crisis, especially in this fragile period of our country, we ask that such erring centres be de-registered and opportunity given to more deserving and law-abiding ones
“God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
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