Some Muslim parents under the aegis of Muslim Parents Forum of the University of Ibadan International School, on Friday, staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the state capital.
During the protest, the Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun made it known that the forum has refilled fresh 11 cases to legally pursue the case to a logical conclusion after the earlier case was struck out by the court.
Recall that insideoyo.com had earlier reported that the earlier case was struck out by the court on the basis that the petitioners are not supposed to file the case jointly.
Speaking with journalists, Balogun disclosed that petitions have also been sent to the Inspector General of Police, the Ministry of Education, the UI management and other related bodies.
He said the Muslim parents took the new steps in line with recent reported harassments having exhausted all avenues to engage the school authorities in amicable settlements.
“I want to announce to you that we have refiled our case against the University of Ibadan, the management of ISI, the principal, Mrs Olowe, the DVC academics, Prof. E B Ekeola. We have filed 11 different cases in line with the dictates of the courts. I’m sure that they are being served as we speak”
“Our children were molested, not even within ISI now but outside. The principal, Mrs Phebean Olowe claimed that even all the land that leads to ISI belongs to ISI. She said once they wear the uniform, they must not put on hijab, then they went about removing it forcefully, harassing the parents, harassing the children, trying to force them to sign undertaking and all sorts of things.
“We had three meetings to settle out of court. We shifted grounds. We said, okay tell us the mode of dressing you want, the shape, size, colour. But they insisted that status quo remains. I have here the school rules. There is nothing there that says students cannot wear hijab. Even if there is anything like that, the constitution supersedes any other enabling law. They are not ready to shift. We met thrice in d office of Dr. S.P.A Ajibade, their lead counsel.”
He said the group would use all available legal and peaceful means to resist the infringement of the rights of their children.
“It is not really a religious matter. We expect that any Nigerian in a public owned school, even if it’s a private owned school, you have to obey the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Another parent in the school, Muyideen Boladele Akerele, alleged that the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school have been used against the Muslim parents who are even also members of the PTA.
“If it is my daughter’s right to adorn hijab, non of them can deny that. Just as the chairman has said, we are going about this peacefully. We have never attacked anyone of them, never done anything violent. They are the ones who are trying to provoke us. But we are resolved to be peaceful.”
