Various groups and individuals across all strata of the society have condemned the decision of the management of Covenant University, owned by Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, to bar Hijab-wearing candidates from sitting for the Mock JAMB examinations at its campus in Otta, Ogun State.
According to Daily Trust, the female candidates were delayed from entering the premises simply for adorning Hijab.
At least 4 female candidates wearing Hijab were stopped from going into the university because of their mode of dressing.
In a video posted by SaharaReporters, the cameraman interviewed the four female students who confirmed the development.
A parent, Mr. Olayode Akeem, who accompanied his child to the centre, said the security men prevented Hijab wearing candidates from entering the premises of Canaanland because they were acting on instruction from above.
Daily Trust reports that it took the intervention of JAMB before the candidates were allowed in after waiting outside for more than one hour.
Another source who resides at Ota said, “I was at Convenant University on Friday and I witnessed it. A lady was told she can’t go in to write her mock exam or else she put off her hijab or turn it into scalf. This is height of impunity. This is pathetic and should be addressed before the exam date.”
The development was however debunked by some other people who claim it is another propaganda by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Several persons have taken to Twitter to condemn the action of the Canaanland, asking the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to address the issue before the main examination day.
“I call on Dr. Isaq OLOYEDE @JAMBHQ to look into this matter… The centre was given randomly why denying them of writing their exams…(sic) Christians do write JAMB in Alhikmah University Ilorin, Summit University in Offa and in Fountain University Oshogbo without any problem… It’s only oyedepo that has problem…,” a Twitter user Taiye Hassan said.
But Ago Ugbaja, another Twitter user, has a different perspective, saying, “It’s a private institution and that’s it!!! Go and sort it out with Oyedepo…. And JAMB.”
Meanwhile, Islamic organisations condemned the action of Cannanland in separate statements made available to Daily Trust.
The Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative (HRAI) and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in separate statements, said some candidates had to remove their Hijab before they were let in.
The HRAI said it got a distress call on Thursday from the father of a candidate Mr. A. A. Olayode, that his daughter and several other candidates wearing Hijab were barred from entering the Covenant University CBT centre for the mock Jamb examinations.
Executive Director of the organisation, Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, said the candidates were denied despite Mr. Olayodes’s explanation 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.
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