– Urges exams body to stop approving hostile Christian institutions
– Board apologises, promises to reschedule mock for affected students
Nigerian Muslims have called on the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) to delist Covenant University, Ogun State and other erring centres for violating rules and regulations guiding the conduct of its examinations.
The calls came following multiple reports of denial of hijab-wearing Muslim students from writing the mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at the varsity’s centre in Otta, on Thursday, March 30.
The Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative (HRAI) first raised alarm over the incident on social media. In a press statement signed by the Executive Director of the group, Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, said;
“We got a distress call this morning at 07:25 am from the father of a candidate, Mr. AA Olayode, that his daughter and several other candidates wearing hijab were denied entrance into 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 where posted there by the examination body and thus should be allowed to write their exams.
“The security guards insisted that the institution being a Christian university does not permit hijab on their premises and as such the candidates could not enter. Some candidates removed their hijab in order to gain entrance, while Maryam, the daughter of Mr. Olayode and two others who did not remove their hijab were denied entry.”
In a viral 1:14-minute video which surfaced online on Sunday, the affected students confirmed they were denied entrance into the school premises by the security officials for refusing to remove their hijab.
In the video, Mr. Olayode Akeem, a parent of one of the candidates who was at the centre with his child said the university security guards prevented candidates wearing hijab from entering Canaanland, saying they were acting on orders from above.
Muslim News reports that the tertiary institution is owned by a controversial pastor and founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, whose treasonable phone conversation with Peter Obi on the 2023 general election recently went viral on social media.
Different organisations, including Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, and individuals have, however, condemned what they termed as consistent and persistent discrimination against innocent Muslim students, thereby calling on the examination body to strip Covenant University and other erring centres of the right to conduct mock and other examinations for violating the rights of the candidates as well as that of JAMB regulations.
Some commentators wondered why these institutions which get paid for the services will find it convenient to flout the rules of the same JAMB. They wondered why their refusal to adhere to the regulations of the examination body always goes with no consequences.
A parent, namely F.A Aseye noted: “It is time to petition JAMB to delist these institutions if they can’t accommodate non-Christians”.
Another commentator, Sule Saheed said Covenant University should be deregistered with immediate effect.
“If not for hypocrisy, why would they allow nuns to enter since they dress almost alike,” he added.
For his part, Asalejo Adedayo Mohammed noted that JAMB is to blame because they have refused to take any decisive action against such violations in the past, urging the examination body to stop posting Muslim girls to centers that discriminate on the basis of religion.
“I won’t blame JAMB because I am very sure this has been happening for several years, yet, they didn’t de-register the institution and they keep giving Muslim candidates such centres. It is wrong.”
Also airing his view, Adegboye Kaysuccess Adekunle said, “What is wrong with JAMB for God’s sake? They are aware of the quantum of hatred these people have for Muslims, yet, they approve their CBT center for public use.
“We need to petition Prof. Oloyede; I assume he is not aware of this.
“Henceforth, he should stop approving those Islamophobe’s CBT for public use.”
Board apologises, promises to reschedule mock for affected students
JAMB is the body in charge of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) which is a precondition for admission into any tertiary institution in Nigeria.
The body through its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede had clarified on several occasions that it is against their rules to deny candidates their rights to take exams over the hijab.
JAMB, in its weekly bulletin released on April 3, apologised to the affected candidates and assured them of the opportunity to sit the rescheduled mock examination.
The report read, “The attention of the Board was drawn to an incident at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, whereby some hijab-wearing candidates were prevented from entering the institution to take the just concuded mock UTME.
“The attention of the university was promptly drawn to this development, and a vehement denial of authorising its security personnel to prevent any genuine candidates from entering the institution was issued.
“According to the university, no such authority was given to that effect and it decried the attendant embarrassment the incident had caused to the institution. It was, therefore, against this backdrop that upon learning of the development, top functionaries of the university along with its CBT centre officials, had rushed to the gate to rescue the unfortunate situation and ensure that the candidates take their examination.
“Regrettably, the unwarranted delay prevented the affected candidates from meeting the time for the examination.
“While apologising to the concerned candidates, the Board assures them that they would be given another opportunity to sit the rescheduled mock examination coming up soon.
“It should be noted that the Board, as an equal opportunity organisation, would never condone any scintilla of discrimination against any entity or person.The general public is, therefore, given all necessary assurances that the Board would put necessary machinery in motion to ensure that such an incident does not recur in future ,” it added.
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