MUTIAT Alao, the Muslim woman who was threatened with a job loss for putting on a hijab at Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, has resumed work.

It was gathered that the Aro Muslim Community has also taken necessary steps towards obtaining permission for a scrub (shoulder-length hijab).

It was learnt that she resumed work putting on a hijab.

A report signed by the Wali of the Welfare Office of the Ogun State The Muslim Congress (TMC), said the scrub would be considered in a congress expected to hold on Wednesday, August 31.

The report read in part, “The Aro Coomunity is an extreme Christian-dominated and controlled community. The uniform for their female staff has no place for hijab. However, the Muslim Community has taken steps towards obtaining the permission for a Shoulder-Length Hijab know as ‘ Scrub’.

“The request for the Scrub will be considered for approval at the Next Midwife/Nurse Congress coming up this Wednesday, August 31, 2016. We are hopeful that the Scrub hijab will at least be permitted at the Congress. This is not to preclude the constitutional right of our sisters to wear Hijab.

“The Sister resumed for work this morning, though she was made redundant. We suggest that the sister remains patient.”

The report however said the outcome of the congress would determine whether or not legal action would be taken.

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The last may not have been told of a looming religious crisis veering its head at Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

The provost of the hospital, Dr A. O Akinhanmi, has allegedly ordered a new staff of the hospital, Mutiat Alao to remove her hijab, Islamic head cover or risk losing her job.

In a hospital where its staff comprised Christians (even catholic sisters, mothers with veil) and minority Muslim women, the Muslim women have overtime been subjects of attacks over the use of the constitutionally backed hijab.

In what still puzzles the minds of many, the affected woman was one of the three female Muslims offered jobs out of the 29 nursing officers recently employed in the hospital since July 25, 2016. She has been prevented from fully resuming her duty post following her resolve not to remove her hijab.

The management was said to have compelled Muslim nurses to remove before they could resume their duty in the hospital.

Holding on to her religious injunction, Alao insisted that she would prefer to wear the hijab on her nursing uniform since the right to do so is guaranteed by the constitution of the country.

Meanwhile, hijab had since been backed by a circular issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for practising nurses across the country.

According to the circular dated 11th February, 2002 with reference number NSMCN/CMF/191/1/3 with the heading “NURSES UNIFORM” reads: “Female nurses should wear either a Nurse cap or a shoulder-length hijab.”

The circular which was signed by the Secretary-general/Registrar, P.N Ndatsu, was also addressed to the Chief Medical Directors of University Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and Specialists Hospitals.

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