Schools Closure For Ramadan Is Unconstitutional – HURIWA Stresses
A civil society group on the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has described the arbitrary closure of public educational institutions in some Northern states for a month to mark the Muslim Ramadan fasting period as “unconstitutional, discriminatory and insensitive”.
HURIWA also said that it was unjust to close down schools just for Muslim fasting whereas Catholic Christians also fast for 40 days and no state government in any of the Christian dominated states have ordered the closure of public and private schools for the 40-days fasting period of Christians.
The Rights group said it was absolutely despicable for the educational rights of citizens to be violated on the ground of closing down of schools for the Ramadan fast which is a religious practice of some citizens.
HURIWA specifically noted that even in well-known Muslim nations in the middle-East, schools were not disrupted because of the Ramadan fast and therefore warned against politicising religion in Nigeria.
A statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA, said that it was grotesque and entirely unacceptable that state governments could trample on the constitutional rights of Nigerians of other faith and belief-systems who reside and do their lawful business in those Northern Nigerian states.
It stressed that the affected state governments were in clear breach of section 10 of the Constitution which prohibits the recognition of any religion as a state religion, adding that to forcefully shut down public and private educational institutions was a clear breach.
According to HURIWA; “Historically, schools have always operated except when there is a planned holiday in line with the educational calendar”.
The Rights group pointedly blamed religious extremism and overzealous tendencies of politicians seeking to politicise religious observation of the Ramadan fasting for the controversial closure of schools for one month.
It stressed that shutting down schools for the fasting period was not so much different from the boko haram ideology which viewed education as being against their brand of Islam. HURIWA therefore carpeted the Northern Nigerian governors waging ideological war against education under the guise of observing Ramadan fast of underdeveloping the good citizens of their respective states.
HURIWA noted that Kebbi, Bauchi and Kano State governments have reaffirmed that the holiday granted to both primary and secondary schools in their states for Ramadan fast will not be reconsidered, despite concerns raised by the Christian Association of Nigeria.
HURIWA said that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and Abuja, on Monday, condemned the school closures in Kebbi and other Shariah-practicing states, including Bauchi, Katsina, and Kano, where schools
HURIWA cited section 42(1) of the Nigerian Constitution which provides that: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person-
(a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizen of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or
(b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizen Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.
(2) No citizen of Nigeria shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth.
HURIWA therefore asked the governors of the Northern states that have arbitrarily shut down educational institutions for the Ramadan fast to direct the schools to be reopened without any further breach of the constitution.
It stressed that Section 10 of the Constitution provides that: “The Government of the Federation or of a state shall not adopt any religion as state religion”.
