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Tag: MSSN

  • Tinubu told to avoid ASUU strike by all means

    Tinubu told to avoid ASUU strike by all means

    The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to make as one of its priorities, a determination never to allow the Academic  Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other education unions to embark on strike again.

    Miftaudeen Thanni, immediate past Amir of MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, made the call on Sunday during its  Annual Conference, which was held on Sunday at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos.

    According to him, investing in the education sector is not a luxury but a necessity

    “As we move into a new dispensation of ‘Renewed Hope’ in our national polity, we are urging the Federal Government to pay more attention and improve on the education investment

    “We don’t want strikes again and this can be achieved by investing more in education.

    “It’s a way to invest in peace, as educated individuals are more likely to embrace dialogue, reject extremism, and work towards resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

    “The government should realise that paying the utmost attention to education is as important as the economy, a well-educated population forms the backbone of a thriving economy.

    “We are reminding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise education, youth empowerment, security of lives and property, economic and infrastructural development.

    ”Effective synergy and fostering of unity across ethnoreligious lines, while we commend him on the students’ loan bill signed into law and await the fruits of other economic policies of the government

    “These measures will go a long way in fueling innovation, fosters entrepreneurship, and drives sustainable development,” he added.

    Speaking, during the programme with the theme, “Renaissance“, Mr Niyi Yusuf, Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), explained  Renaissance’ as revival, renewal or an attempt to bring something back that was very good in the past and make it active again.

    Yusuf, who was the keynote speaker at the event,  represented by Raji Abdulganiy, charged young Muslims to exploit their youthful age and make meaningful contributions in the society and seek to restore glorious days of Islam.

    “As youths the time has come for us to stop taking the back sit in leadership positions because are still very young, some of our prophets were still very young when they stated contributing to Islam,” he added.

    The chairman advised the MSS members to be united, pay serious attention to education as part of efforts to revive the good old days of Islam, referred them to read the ‘Golden Age of Islam’, which according to him, talked about when Muslims were the leaders of the world.

    Earlier, Dr Zafaran Adeniyi, Director of Vanguard Academy, said there was the need for the youths to implement technology, to meet increasing challenges and maintain a balance to achieve spiritual, moral and academic progression.

    According to him, the reasons for the call to renaissance is as a result of the decline in morals and to effectively calibrate.

    “We need to have a sense of our history to get a headway.

    “A major way to make changes is the massive enlightenment of Muslim youths on every aspect across the board.

    “However, MSSN has the background to thrive everywhere as a result of the intensive training and exposure given to the members from the very beginning,” he added.

    Sen. Shuaib Salisu, a former President of MSSN and Senator, representing Ogun Senatorial District, commended the Lagos Area Unit for the successful conduct of its annual conference, described the programme as a laudable event.

    “When students organisation like this come together, they are renewing the hope of our country as well as the renewing the role they need to play in realising the real nation of our dream,” he added.

    Salisu advised the members to have a good sense of history as a guide to where they were going.

    He charged the Lagos State Area Unit to develop a data base of members in the State,said it has over 800 schools, over 40 Area Councils and 45 Central branches to knowledge purposes.

    The event, which recorded no fewer than 300 members of MSSN across the country, featured the swearing-in of the newly elected members of executive headed by Mallam Kamaldeen Abiona.

  • Supreme Court Judgement: MSSN gives Lagos gov’t 30 – day ultimatum on use of Hijab Muslim Students

    Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has warned Lagos State Government and its officials against harassment of Muslim Students on the issue of wearing of Hiin all institutions in the state just as it issued a 30-day ultimatum on the matter.

    The body gave the warning in a circular against the backdrop of the recently delivered judgement by the Supreme Court approving the use of hijab in Lagos schools.

    Delivering the ultimatum during a press conference on Wednesday, the students urged the government to caution its officials against harassing Muslim females wearing the hijab.

    The president MSSN in Lagos State, Miftahudeen Thanni explained that issuing the circular would curb “overzealous” teachers and principals from contempt of court.

    Related Story: 2023: 51-year-old treks from Bauchi to Lagos to celebrate Tinubu

    He said, “This is not to castigate the Lagos State Government but to appeal for the prompt implementation of the Supreme Court judgement.

    “We waited patiently to get the judgement and we were lawful throughout. During this period, we consulted, collaborated, protested, held rallies and sensitised government officials on why a willing Muslim female should be allowed to put on the hijab.”

    Recall that after about 10 years of legal tussle, the Supreme Court on Friday, July 17, 2022, approved the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students to school in Lagos State.

    The majority decision affirmed the earlier Court of Appeal’s decision which restored the use of hijab by female Muslim students in Lagos State.

    Displeased with the judgement, the Lagos State Government attempted to obtain a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s decision but failed.

    In November 2018, the Lagos State Government issued an earlier circular to all principals of public secondary schools instructing them to allow students.

    Miftahudeen said, “When the Lagos State Government issued the circular, we thought relief had come, but it is utterly unfortunate that some school authorities and some defective teachers are working against the circular. They are interested in ultimately jeopardising law and order.

    “Instead of obeying the circular, some school principals, vice-principals and teachers feign ignorance of the approval of Hijab in Lagos State, and desperately began to deal with our members.
    “For no reason should a girl-child be denied education again in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole!

    “The images of Muslim students sent out of the examination hall for wearing hijab touch the heart and consistently bring tears to the eyes. We do not want this to recur. The education of the girl-child is very paramount in our hearts. No Muslim girl should ever be told to choose between her faith and education. Both are her rights.

  • MSSN urge Sanwo-Olu to enforce use of hijab in schools

    MSSN urge Sanwo-Olu to enforce use of hijab in schools

    The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, has urged the state government to remind school administrators of a court ruling allowing Muslim students to wear hijab in schools.
    Amirah (Female President) of MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, Miss Basheerah Majekodunmi, made the appeal in a statement in Lagos.
    The statement was in commemoration of 2022 World Hijab Day. Majekodunmi called on the Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct issuance of the circular in compliance with a Court of Appeal judgement granting the use of hijab in public schools.
    She said that some principals and teachers claimed that they did not get a previous circular on the matter during Mr Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration.
    Majekodunmi advised school principals and teachers against the victimisation and discrimination of Muslim students.
    “Ignorance is no excuse before the law.Teachers and principals who either feign ignorance or turn deaf ear to justice and morality have made it difficult and fearful for students to use their hijabs as prescribed by their creator.
    “We appeal to Lagos State Government to issue another circular that will be well-publicised. ” We enjoy peace in Lagos State and don’t want any crisis,” Majekodunmi said. She hailed efforts of the state government in providing quality education.
    “A picture of Gov. Sanwo-Olu sitting with a hijab-wearing student is in clear contrast to injustice meted on some students who also chose to wear hijab in other schools,” she said.
    Majekodunmi advised students to speak out when experiencing any form of molestation or victimisation.
    Newsmen reports that the 2022 World Hijab Day, with the theme, “Hijab is our Crown, not A Crime”, was aimed to disapprove and end harassment of females wearing hijabs in schools and workplaces.

  • MSSN threatens to shutdown Lagos over alleged hijab harassment

    The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit has threatened to mobilise millions of its members to shutdown Lagos State if harassment of students wearing hijab persists.

    The organisation said this at a press conference to commemorate the 2019 World Hijab Day on Thursday in Lagos.

    The Amirah (female head) of the MSSNLagos, Hajia Basheerah Majekodunmi, while addressing journalists narrated the agonies of female Muslim students in the country.

    She lamented that some of the students were slapped, embarrassed and subjected to emotional trauma for wearing hijab to schools.

    She, however, explained that despite the circular issued by the Lagos State Government and the judgement of the Appeal Court favouring the use of hijab, female Muslim students are still facing tough times.

    She said, “In the hands of government officials, especially teachers in public schools, our members are regular victims of physical and verbal assaults. The recent one being the slapping of a female Muslim student at Ikosi High School by an official of West African Examination Council (WAEC) for resisting to pull off her hijab. Other cases abound from Agbede Community Grammar School and Yewa Grammar School in Ikorodu, to Iba Estate Senior High School in Ojo.

    “Before we got to where we are now on the issue of hijab, there were several legal engagements. The Appeal Court granted us all the reliefs we sought at the lower court and pronounced on our inalienable right to adorn the hijab not only in public secondary schools but in all spheres of education and life. In November 2018, the Lagos State Government issued a circular to all principals of public secondary schools instructing them to allow students, who want to wear the hijab on their uniforms do so.

    “When the Lagos State Government issued the circular, we thought relief had come, but it is utterly unfortunate that some school authorities and some deviant teachers are working against the circular.

    “Instead of obeying the circular, some school principals, vice principals and teachers feign ignorance of the approval of hijab in Lagos State, and desperately began to deal with our members. We have constantly reported some of these cases to the government but little result is seen and some have been taken up legally.

    “We call on the government to caution its indiscipline, unlawful officials among its teaching workforce. If not, the entire Lagos State will wake up one day to witness an abrupt shutdown by millions of our members and sympathisers.”

    She subsequently alleged the Lagos State Government of conniving with some of its officials to frustrate a peaceful usage of hijab in schools.

    Majekodunmi also asked the WAEC to caution its members to stop violating Nigeria constitution and existing judgement that affirm the right to use hijab by female Muslim students.

    She said, “We have got to a point that we are beginning to think that there is a connivance between the teachers and principals of some schools to frustrate Muslim students in our bid to practice our religion through the use of hijab. If this is the grand plan, In Sha Allah, they will fail.”

    “We are a peaceful community and we have respect for democratic values and the rule of law, but we will not allow our fundamental human rights to be tampered upon. It’s utterly sad that we are experiencing too much of assaults and abuses on the Muslim female folks, because they are wearing hijab. This discrimination is too much, and it has to stop! The government has to criminalize assaults against people wearing hijab.

    “The illegal action against Muslim students wearing hijab has caused our members huge psychological trauma that some of them now feel hated and rejected in their own country.”

    The Muslim group insisted that it was not asking government for a favour but requesting that its members should not be denied of their rights.

    “We understand that there are a few cases in court, but let me assure you that the position of the constitution is clear – wearing hijab is a constitutional right. Let us not assume that allowing hijab is a favour to Muslims. No, it is not. We are only asking government to respect the constitution of Nigeria by ordering their agents to stop victimising our students for wearing the hijab.

    “We call on all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion to join this voice as part of solidarity with the Muslim women most especially the female secondary school students, who are brazenly and incessantly harassed and assaulted because they wear hijab to schools in their own country.”

    Apart from the Appeal Court that gave a favourable verdict on the use of Hijab, a High Court in Osun State gave its nod to it and the National Industrial Court did the same on Tuesday 8th January 2019.

    Like the Appeal Court and the Osun High Court, the Industrial Court of Nigeria, presided over by Hon. Justice Ikechi Gerald Nweneka, ruled that refusal to interview an applicant in Hijab was discriminatory, violation of section 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    In that case, the applicant Olatunji Hawau had applied for employment with the 3rd Respondent, Federal Medical Centre Ebute Meta on 10th October 2016. She was invited for interview on 12th October 2016 but was not interviewed because she was wearing a hijab.