The Osun State Christian Association of Nigeria, OSCAN, has commended the Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for his commitment to the development and transformation of the state in the face of present economic recession.
 

 
The Association also lauded the state government for being consistent in championing equity, balance and harmony among the adherents of the three major faiths in the state.
The Chairman of the Association, Michael Okodua, who led the newly constituted executive members of the association gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the governor in his office in Osogbo.
‎He held that the present administration under the leadership of Mr. Aregbesola has really done well in fostering peace, love and unity among the different religious faithful in the state.
He commended Mr. Aregbesola’s sagacity for continuously piloting the affairs of the state even in the face of huge condemnation and attacks from various quarters.
According to him, “It is expedient for us to commend and congratulate you on the success of your mission to transform Osun despite the glaring economic recession affecting the state and the country at large.”
The cleric stated that the purpose of the visit was to officially inform the state government on the new nomenclature of the Osun State Christian Association of Nigeria (OSCAN).
He said, “OSCAN now has a new team of executive to pilot the affairs of the Association in the state for the period of next three years.

“On our assumption of office in August this year, we deemed it fit to start our work by paying your good self a courtesy visit as a father to us, and to every association in Osun state; to introduce ourselves to you and to interact with you no matter how short the time”.
He said Osun State Christian Association of Nigeria remains a critical stakeholder in the development of the state, stressing that, “It is therefore incumbent on the Association to liaise and work with the Governor on critical issues bothering on state and religion, among others that would further enhance the general well being of the people of the state.
“Our goal, therefore, is to promote peaceful coexistence and religious harmony, as basis for rapid socio-economic development of the state.‎ It is on this basis that the Osun State Christian Association of Nigeria wishes to assure the government of our loyalty, cooperation and unflinching support towards meeting the needs and aspiration of the people of the state.
“We also look unto your excellency for support in our efforts towards meeting the aspirations and desires for the growth and development of the church in the state.
“We wish to assure your excellency that the church will continue to support you and your administration with prayers and goodwill at all times.
In his remarks, the Governor of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, charged the people of the state on the need to continuously champion religious tolerance as being demonstrated by his administration.
He thanked God for the opportunity given to his administration to renew its relationship with the newly constituted leadership of OSCAN, just as he expressed hope that the visit would put an end to possible misunderstanding among religious faithful.
According to him, it will be a grand mistake for us to deny the fact that his administration and Osun State Christian Association of Nigeria have had a tumultuous relationship.
He added, “but the question to ask is why must a government who in all honesty wants to have harmonious relationship with all faiths to the extent of even given them recognition in their own specific rights have conflict with one of the faiths.
“We must bear it in mind that it takes two to tango just as it takes two to be harmonious. It is not possible for two people either individuals, organisations or institutions to get along without a huge sense of maturity, forbearance and understanding.
“However, immediately those two people who must coexist and get along appreciate the need for forbearance by tolerating one another, maturity takes place. Listening to the chairman’s speech, l want to believe that we are in a new season. New season has just begun”.
He argued that the basis of participation in religion in this part of the world is based on the religion people met their parents with and not mostly as a matter of choice or conviction.
“Our profession of faith is largely huge on how we came into the world. It is on the accident of birth. Therefore there is need for us to champion love, tolerance and understanding in relating to one another as human beings.
“Why must we quarrel on situation and circumstance that we cannot change? We must come to understand ourselves as possibly as we can as our forebear did. No race on earth rivals Yoruba people in term of exhibiting understanding, tolerance, love and unity in religious practices”

Ogbeni Aregbesola, who lamented he poor management of religious affairs by the former leadership of the association, implored the new executives to always prioritise dialogue above other considerations.
“And should there be any reason whatsoever for you to have challenge, seek for clarification. Should there be any ground whatsoever for annoyance, pain, bitterness or misunderstanding, please don’t hesitate to embrace dialogue and seek for clarification”.
He called on the new executives to let dialogue be the foundation of their relationship with government and other faiths.
He enjoined them to see dialogue as a veritable ingredient to enhance peaceful co-habitation among the residents, warning them against the use of media to cause religious unrest.
“As partners in the process of building a just society targeted on growth and development, we can’t afford to be fighting one another. If development of the state and her people remained our goal, we can’t afford to be enemies and antagonists of one another.”

As the conversation on the actions of the Osun State Chapter of CAN continues, various perspectives and remarks are coming into play. Interestingly, Interestingly, ‘westerns-style’ education’ and ‘uniforms’ seems to be common parallels being used to justify positions. Therefore, the below is a review of the Hijab practices in those ‘Western Countries’.
 

1. In America, Hijab wearing is protected under the constitutional right to freedom of religion. Any school that violates this right can come under federal lawsuit. Organizations like the Americans Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) make sure that religious rights in schools are respected as well as make sure that schools do not endorse any religions. It can be a fine line. In addition to protecting the rights of girls to wear hijab it also allows for other religious articles such as the Jewish yarmulke or jewelry with the Star of David. It also protects the rights of Christians to wear the cross. It also guarantees that reasonable accommodations be made for students religions. So Muslims wanting to make their 5 daily prayers must be allowed to pray in school. However, schools can make certain requirements about a student’s hijab. For example, schools that require uniforms can require that a hijab be a specific color. Nursing and Medical schools can require that a hijab be a specific color (usually white) and that it be tight fitting and must be tucked into a shirt so that there are no ends hanging which could transfer diseases from one patient to another.
2. In Quebec, Canada, Emilie Ouimet, a 13-year-old high school student, was sent home from school for wearing the Hijab. The primary reason given by the principal was that the school had a strict code that forbade the use of caps or attire that would distinguish students from their peers – part of a dress code for disciplinary reasons. Soon after, a debate raged for months through Quebec society.
The parents of Dania Bali, a straight-A student who was asked to remove her Hijab filed a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission. The Commission made a landmark ruling that turned the tide: Quebec schools did not have the right to prohibit any student from wearing religious attire (be it a Sikh turban, a Jewish yarmulke, a Christian cross, or Islamic Hijab).
More importantly, Quebec society was asked to consider the issues of religious pluralism in the emerging “global village”. The Quebec Charter of Rights guaranteed religious freedom, and no school administrator or employer could take that right away.
3. The Metropolitan Police in London has accepted Hijab as a uniform option for Muslim women serving in the force. The announcement was made at a conference on the theme of “Protect and Respect: Everybody’s Benefit”. The move is seen as a further sign of official acceptance of Britain as a religiously diverse society where faith-related accommodations should be made for all individuals.
4. In Scotland, the Police introduced a hijab to its uniform in an effort to attract more Muslim women to a force which is failing to reflect the diversity in the country’s population.
5. In Minnesota, Kadra Mohamed, (in the attached photo) became Minnesota’s first hijab wearing police woman and the first Somali female officer. Kadra Mohamed is only 21 years old and already making history.
We can go on and on with examples from Western Countries you want to tell us our education is styled after. You have also seen that Hijab can also be a part of a uniform too.
Aregbesola may have other faults, are we going to fault him on the ruling of a competent court of law?
I asked a question which no one endeavored to answer: what does a person’s hijab stops you from doing? How does a piece of scarf constitute a distraction when half-naked dresses do not?
Maybe we should do away with uniforms to please all, after all students in Anne Arundel County schools in the state of Maryland, USA do not wear uniforms.

The leadership of Methodist Church Nigeria has openly declared it readiness to support government at all levels in Nigeria especially the State Government of Osun on massive agricultural production in order to salvage the current economic crisis.
The declaration was made by the Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Emeka Uche, while paying a visit to Governor Aregbesola in his office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo.
 

 
The cleric who lamented over the current economic situation in the country said the nation has driven to a stage where government at all levels must tighten their belts in strengthen the economy of the country for the general well being of her citizenry.
The religious leader who attributed the   dwindling revenues to the coffers of the federal, state and local governments, to what he described as negligence of agriculture by the successive government in the country, stressing that if the nation has diligently and prudently explored her potentials in agriculture, the country would have grown beyond her current stage.
Dr. Uche explained further that, the only sustainable alternative to the current economic challenges was for the government and people of Nigeria to develop the required passions at resuscitating and revamping the lost glory of agriculture, which according to him has been ignorantly neglected by the past administrations in the country.
The Methodist Prelate who commended Governor Aregbesola for building an unsurpassable future for the state on all sectors of the economy especially agriculture, saying Governor Aregbesola has successfully proven his weights as a responsive and responsible Governor whose passion for development can never be measured or estimated.
Dr. Uche who described the allocation of Osun as the least among its peers, commended Governor Aregbesola for aggressively promoting the state within the template of meagre resources.
According to him, Osun has been prudently managing the affairs of the state despite the fact that the state by all standards receives the least allocation from the Federation Accounts.
He stated further that the giant strides of the current administration at building a self-sufficient and economic-independent state had been a driven force for economic realities being pursued by the current government.
Dr. Uche who assured total obedience and compliance towards the civic responsibilities of the citizenry in the country said, the time has come for all Nigerians to demonstrate high sense of commitment and seriousness towards taxation.
The spiritual father who described Nigeria as the only country where citizens display sense of adamancy towards taxation, saying if Nigeria must truly develop, her citizens must support the government with prompt tax payment.
“The purpose of our visit is to establish our staunch support and collaboration for Nigerian government in a bid to strengthen the nation’s economy and serve as helping hands in repositioning the country for all round development.
“We have identified agriculture as the only sustainable means of continuous existence of Nigeria. Our focus is to partner with government at all levels in the area of agriculture to enhance its production capacity and boost the revenues accruable to Nigeria and states of the federation.
“Methodist Church of Nigeria is not only committed to spiritual work but to be part of the process that will strengthen the economy of Nigeria and increase its revenue basis.
“In view of this, we have resolved as a religious institution to engage our members especially the youths on farming as we strongly believe that with the support of government, we shall succeed.
“We are appealing to your excellency to give us the needed supports most importantly enough lands for cultivation and plantation.
“The only way to rescue the country out of the present economic situation is to show our support and collaborate with government on agriculture”, Dr. Uche stated.
In his remarks, Governor Rauf Aregbesola who expressed delight over the economic foresight of the leadership of Methodist Church said their resolution to support the government efforts on agriculture and taxation was a testimony to present economic reality.
Governor Aregbesola also commended the leadership of the Methodist church for identifying with the state on its present economic challenges, promising to render whatever support requires to aid members of the church actualizing its dreams.
The Governor who lamented over the continuous reduction in the global prices of crude oil said, his government would not be distracted in its efforts to uplift the state.
He said, “The declaration of the leadership of methodist church Nigeria to support us in agriculture and taxation is an indication to the fact that everyone in the state should engage in agriculture not only for consumption but for commercialization.
“Massive agricultural production remains the most sustainable alternative to success and progress in any country of the world especially Nigeria that is blessed with fertile soil.
“The wayout to our economic crisis is agriculture. Humanity has never found alternative to consumption of food as a means of survival.
“Science and technology has never found a replacement for food as a means of survival and it is quite idiotic for any nation or society to depend on others for the basic means of existence.
“It is also abnormal for any nation, country, society or community to depend externally on other for food production.
“The starting point of our economic recovery is the capacity to feed ourselves.
“For this reason, on hands must be deck to resuscitate the potentials in agriculture and explore its value for the betterment of all.
Governor Aregbesola further assured the leadership of the church of his administration’s collaborative gestures to ensure that all agricultural ventures in the state collaborate most effectively with the church to actualize its dreams as the state was ready to give it whatever size of land required to ensure that the church dreams come to past.
“This is important because the era of crude oil to me has gone. Any nation that based their wealth on digging the earth have ended up in penury.
“The only successful nations are those that simply believe in teeming the soil for the purpose of planting, cultivating and living on the produce of the land, none of such nations who had adopted farming had ever recorded penury.
“For your church to have openly declared your partnership with government in massive agricultural production apart from evangelism, is a testimony to the progressive nature of Methodist church in the world.
“This declaration by the Methodist church of Nigeria is a reflective signal to bring back our senses fully autonomous- independent nation because wealth is simply the capacity to feed oneself, individuals, community, state and nation as well as saving surplus for the future and for exportation.
“I commend you for your foresight, for your cleared objectives and unflinching support to aid our efforts on economic recovery.
“We will support you with extension services not only on land but in all ramifications to actualize your dreams.