Any man who at this time, in this ‘rocket age’ as I like to refer to the world we live in at the moment, is still ignorant of the injunction made by an 5-man panel of the appeal court in Lagos at about 13:40 GMT on Thursday, 21st July, 2016, should be given a combination of deliverances from all the available major beliefs in Nigeria. I am not sure it won’t be an overdose as we have three major religions in Nigeria; Islam, Christianity, and Traditional African Belief, in chronological arrangement.
Even a man that travelled back in time to the dark ages through dreamland would have been restored back to life by the dust that emanated from the feet of the visibly joy-filled youths, not to say, their sonorous voices which was ubiquitous, chanting praises to the Supreme Being and exchanging pleasantries like it was yet another festive mood.
As much as I am one of those still basking in the euphoria of the injunction to allow the use of ‘the hijab’ in schools in Lagos state, I still pinch myself back to reality whenever I’m lost in that mood. The reason is not far-fetched. At least, the ethnic bigots would have no loopholes to exploit as saying “it’s because the Governor is a Muslim”. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) is a Muslim, remember?
Without taking away any credit from the dedication of the Ambode-led administration to astutely allow justice prevail in the state, I still believe the presumed victory is over flogged beyond its scope. To me, it is not a ‘victory’ per-say; it is just upholding the Rule of law, what’s embedded in the Nigerian constitution.
It would really sound absurd to a sane mind if he’s asked to seek permission to quench his hunger when he’s hungry. Imagine yourself with your older sibling, just because he’s more powerful, decides to forcefully take your feeding allowance from you and then asks you to lick his sore before he allows you have your rightfully earned allowance. How would you feel? Won’t you fight tooth and nail? Of course you will and I am sure you won’t be all over the place singing his praise if, after the entire struggle he releases the allowance, even though you’ll be relieved and happy. That’s exactly the situation on ground.
Yes! We should be grateful and our hearts gladdened because it is a victory of sort but I’m not surprised because we now see the ‘prevalence of justice’ as a ‘luxury’ in Nigeria. The ‘freedom to exercise one’s right’ is seen a ‘favour’. For all those wailing about the injunctions, in Lagos and Osun states alike, don’t bring upon yourself unwarranted and unhealthy cardiac situation. We were not done ANY FAVOUR; we only got what rightfully belonged to us as stipulated by the constitution. I believe each religion is free to express itself. You can also seek to put on your regalia to school. Only that the hijab is more than just an attire – a deliberation for a distinguished symposium.
What next after this ‘Victory’?
This is not a time to fall into deep sleep if any sleep at all. This is actually the beginning of another phase. We should not sit back and assume, “the injunction has been made. It would be followed duly”. In Nigeria? I’m sure your guess is as good as mine. It would only be a case of leaving your yam unattended, all because you think the goat has been tied down with a rope. Whereas, the stubbornness of some goats can be likened to the ferocity of a mad dog, they just love that “everything must be disrupted”.
We need to serve as our own watchdog because the eye of the government we have yet in Nigeria is not that of the eagle that sees all. There is the need to ensure that every school in Lagos state complies with this ruling. We need to ensure that the victimisation of these young ones is put to an end.
Finally, there is the very important need for Islamic organisations to educate the Muslim youths about the proper use of the hijab. It is always so disheartening when you see young girls adorning the hijab, yet, engage in so much frivolous activities. You see them on the streets on their way from school acting without care, nonchalantly.
We need to take our destiny into our hands. An African maxim says: “You cannot send a child to answer the call of nature on your behalf”. If we don’t safeguard this “egg” in our hands, detractors are everywhere, looking for the slightest opportunity to smash it mercilessly. It is now up to us to show if we are deserving of this ‘favoured right’ granted us. We should not chant victory songs yet.
That was the end of a battle and we won. Now, the real war begins. Are we sure to win? Is our arsenal fired up? These are questions that beg for comprehensive answers.
If a child accords no respect to his mother in public, he has no right to hit the child next door for being unruly to her – African proverb
Lateef Sanni A. (@reserved_single)
lateef.sanni67@yahoo.com
