A bill currently before the House of Representatives seeking to institutionalise the use of hijab in the country has continued to generate strong reactions from Nigeria.
Barely a day after the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), condemned the introduction of the bill, the global head of Ifa priests, Chief Owolabi Aworeni, has also demanded its withdrawal.
Chief Aworeni, whose official title is Araba Agbaye, also called on the Kwara State Governor, Abdualrahman Abdulrazaq to shun actions capable of plunging the state into crisis.
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He spoke to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday through his second-in-command and Araba Oluisese of Ibadan, Ifalere Odegbola.
“We are appealing to the Governor of Kwara State to caution against steps that are capable of turning Kwara State and the entire country into crises.
“Peace will reign supreme if religions generally are given pride of place. Let the Christian schools be, same for Muslim schools and schools for the traditional worshippers, without any religion lording it over the other.
“A traditional worshipper who decides to attend Christian school should imbibe the Christian practices and principles and ditto for a Christian child who chooses to attend a Muslim school. If he decides to attend the school, he has to abide by the practices.
“It is wrong for a child who belongs to another faith to want to force his way through. The governor should desist from acts that can incite violence or civil disorderliness. Academics should not continue to get interrupted as we have it at the moment.
“In the same vein, we are appealing to the National Assembly to drop the issue of use of hijab; we are warning that religious intolerance should not be allowed to polarise us as a people. Nigeria as a secular nation should be receptive to all religions and people should be free to practice their own faith without any interference,” Chief Aworeni said.