The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has condemned the closure of both public and private schools in some parts of northern Nigeria throughout Ramadan.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Luka Binniyat, the forum said it was unfortunate that the closure of schools was also binding in Kebbi and Southern Bauchi, which are bona fide parts of the Middle Belt.
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It posited that the action serves as a stark confirmation of the long-standing fears among non-Muslims in these states—that the implementation of Sharia does not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims.
The statement read, “It is deeply unjust that non-Muslim students and pupils should suffer significant setbacks in their education simply because Muslims in these states wish to fulfil their religious obligations. While these students remain at home, their counterparts in other parts of the country will continue attending classes and tutorials, preparing for national examinations that all students must sit for.
“The Middle Belt Forum views this regressive directive as yet another manifestation of Boko Haram’s ideology, which opposes Western education. The rest of Nigeria must not take this directive lightly, as it is evident that these Sharia states are gradually distancing themselves from Nigeria’s secular framework.”
The forum further depicted that the development has further justified the persistent calls by the Middle Belt Forum and the Southern Forum for the restructuring of Nigeria.
It, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to exercise his authority to prevent the states from descending into religious fundamentalism, adding that had former President Olusegun Obasanjo firmly asserted that Nigeria and all its federating units must remain a secular state, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, such issues might never have arisen.
The forum urged President Tinubu to learn from the precedent and take a firm stand to safeguard the rights and privileges of all non-Muslims against the oppressive effects of Sharia-based policies.
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