Some Muslim candidates for the mock test of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) were reportedly denied entry for some time at Covenant University in Canaanland for wearing the hijab.
Canaanland is a private city in Ota, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, that hosts the headquarters of Winners’ Chapel (Living Faith Church), Covenant University, and Faith Academy, all founded by Bishop David Oyedepo.
In a video circulate on social media seen by Newsflash Nigeria, someone narrates how some Muslim candidates were denied entry into the venue of the mock examination organised annually by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in many centres across the country. Covenant University is one of such centres.
VIDEO: How Bishop Oyedepo’s Covenant University Delayed Muslim Candidates In Hijab From Taking Mock Tertiary Matriculation Exam pic.twitter.com/dTsUruj4cC
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 3, 2023
“This is Mr. Olayode Akeem who brought a child for a mock examination at covenant university. I was surprised he came here this morning. And all the children with hijab, they are being denied to enter and to write the examination.
“These are the candidates with hijab who are being denied to write the examination. And these are the security men who said they should not… they are acting on the instruction given to them by their head,” the voice of a male person doing the recording said.
“Why are you outside?” the male voice asked one of the female candidates.
“They did not allow us to enter because we wore hijab,” she replied.
“Because of hijab, they did not allow us to enter,” another female candidate said.
“And you too,” the male voice asked a third female candidate wearing the hijab. “They did not allow us to go in because of hijab,” she also said.
It was learnt that the candidates were later allowed to sit the mock examination but after they had been delayed for some time.
According to a statement issued by an Islamic group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), last Thursday, the affected Muslim candidates were delayed for about 40 minutes.
In the statement, MURIC called on the authorities of JAMB to sanction Canaanland and Covenant University “for disallowing hijab-clad girls from entering their premises for today’s mock examination”.
“The Muslim girls were delayed for 48 minutes while the examination was going on,” it added.
The group further said, “In the case of Canaanland, the students who begged for permission to enter were ignored until a parent sent Save Our Soul Message (SOS) to MURIC headquarters which sprang into action by contacting JAMB authorities as well as the Ogun State branch of MURIC. The SOS produced some results and the coordinator of the centre soon came with his car to ferry three hijab-clad girls into the exam hall.
“The number of Muslim girls who wore hijab was actually more than that but about five or six had surrendered by removing their hijab after begging for more than one hour. Those who removed their hijab were allowed to go inside.
“Ogun State chapter of MURIC condemns this coercion, harassment, and religious apartheid. We demand action from the JAMB authorities against the host communities, Canaanland and Covenant University.
“Those who cannot tolerate Muslim girls in hijab should not apply to host public examinations. Canaanland and Covenant have subjected Muslim girls to embarrassment, stigmatization, and persecution.”
On Saturday, Peoples Gazette leaked a phone conversation between the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and Bishop Oyedepo which preceded the February 25 presidential election.
In the leaked phone conversation, Obi described the presidential election as a “religious war” and the Christian cleric concurred.
Oyedepo began his prayer for the former governor of Anambra State by saying, “In Jesus’ name, we are going to get a bright tomorrow,” with Obi replying by saying, “When I hear these prayers, it is very dear to me and like I keep saying, if this thing works, you people will never regret the support.”
Continuing the conversation, Oyedepo said, “We look forward to God’s intervention,” to which Obi responded by saying, “Thank you, Daddy. I need you to speak to your people in the Southwest and Kwara. The Christians in the Southwest and Kwara.” Bishop Oyedepo said: “Okay.”
Obi continued by saying, “This is a religious war,” with Oyedepo responding immediately, “I believe you, I believe that. You know, I did a release, ‘Nigeria going forward’ and I’m coming out with the second one today.”
“You know what I said in the first one, a sickling nation like Nigeria requires a strong and healthy personality, and I said that anyone whose source of wealth cannot be verified should not have access to governance, particularly in an economy like Nigeria. I want to assure you that in the name of Jesus, the results shall be favourable,” Oyedepo said.
Oyedepo further promised to get Christians in Kwara State to vote for Obi while Obi confirmed to the cleric that he was worried over Kogi and Niger states but that he was working on it as he was meeting with Christian communities in those states. Obi also requested that Bishop Oyedepo should send the second statement to him personally.
The phone conversation has generated mixed reactions with many Nigerians including those from the opposition political parties condemning Obi for engaging in religious politics and tagging the 2023 presidential election as a religious war.
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