By Henry Odu
A Nigerian high court judge has told the parties in a private school hijab crises to try harder to seek an amicable agreement to solve their dispute.
In a strange legal guidance, the judge told parties to the dispute in International School Of Ibadan, (I.S.I)Nigeria, to seek an amicable resolution to their heated dispute. The school was forced to close down on two occasions in 2018 after Muslim parents insisted on their children, especially female pupils, to be allowed to wear the Hijab to school. The dispute lasted two weeks, but with exam periods drawing close, Muslim parents temporarily compromised on the matter, taking the school to court on behalf of their children instead
The argument presented to the court by the Islamic grouo is that the decision to fight for the school to allow the Hijab was because it is consistent with their Human Right and in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution.
Representatives of I.S.I told The Eye Of Media.Com that the school policies have to be adhered to, pointing out that all parents signed a contract which stipulated all the school rules at the point of admission for their children. ”All the school rules are clearly stated in the school policy”, a spokesperson told The Eye Of Media.Com. There is a forum for expressing objections to school policies, but no room for imposing practices that go against the school rules”, they said.
The courts guidance is strange because courts are supposed to give rulings that solve disputes , not request an amicable settlement. However, Nigeria is notorious for religious conflict, making it quite conceivable for a judge to be worried about potential unrest that could arise from a judgement he makes in this regard.
Justice Ladiran Akintola told the parties to bring a settlement report to court last Friday, but both parties arrived in court agreeing they could not reach a settlement. At the resumed hearing of the case on Friday, rather than give a report of the expected settlement, parties informed the court that deliberations to resolve the matter amicably failed.
However, it became apparent at the last hearing that neither of the two sides are willing to compromise on their stance
FAILED
Counsel to the applicants, Hassan Fajimite, told the court that attempts to settle out of court had failed,
Judge Akintola gave the parties 14 days to perfect their processes and admonished them to put in more efforts to try and find amicable resolution to the crisis within 21 days. The case has been adjourned to May 14. In the event of no settlement, the high court judge will be expected to make a judgement or face the inevitable criticism that the case is too complex for his legal knowledge.