By Adeyemi Adebisi Lagos, Nigeria.
Wahab Shittu, a Lagos based human right lawyer is a muslim but he does not support the Umar Musa Yar’ Adua University, Katsina action that outlaws any other religious or tribal association on campus expect Muslim Students Society of Nigeria.
Ahead of the students resumption, Sulaiman Kankara, Acting Dean of Students of Affairs passed the directives to all students, clubs and association that exist on the campus.
Shittu said the directive has no foundation in the constitution . “It is clearly a violation of the constitutional provision, permitting freedom of association.” He also added that the fundamental rights of the students to freely associate and express their views have been violated directly by the directive.
Furthermore he explained that in the constitution which is the supreme law of the land there is nothing that implies or suggest the directive can be accommodated in any of the exceptions from the fundamental rights as contained in the constitution. He therefore described the directive as null and viod.
Also reacting to the prohibition directive is kunle Banjo, a pastor. He said the action is one sided and capable of promoting hate and double standard. ” no state has an official religion. The same way no university has official religion. So they can not promote one religion above another.”
When the Registrar of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Prof. Ishaq Oloyede was the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, he unofficially or informally prohibited Christ Apostolic Church Students Association (CACSA), the dominating Christian group from praying, holding fellowship or any other religious activities within the campus.The students obeyed and did not challenge the action.
However in the case of Katstina, Shittu and Banjo said the directive should be challenged immediately.
