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Finally, a circular from the Lagos State government directing principals and school administrators to permit Muslim children to wear the hijab in all state-owned schools has been released.

Hakeem Muri Okunola, the State Head of Service, issued the circular on Monday, December 5, with reference number CIR/HOS/’22/Vol.1/068. It became effective right away.

A few hours after a Muslim human rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to get involved in the hijab issue because it affects Muslims’ constitutional rights in the state, the state under Gov. Sanwo-leadership Olu’s officially approved the hijab.

On Friday, June 17, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a decision supporting the wearing of the hijab in all Lagos State schools. However, MURIC Director Prof. Lakin Akintola was concerned that the Lagos State Government had not issued a statement following the decision.

The State issued the circular informing all state parastatals and agencies, including school principals and administrators, to let any female student to wear the hijab on uniforms in all state-owned schools after the Supreme Court verdict in less than 24 hours of MURIC’s appeal.

“It’s hereby notified for general information that the supreme court judgment SC/910/2016 delivered on the 17th of June 2022 on the use of Hijab as it affects pupils/students in Lagos State schools has delivered that the students should be allowed to wear the hijab if desired,” the statement read in part. 

You should be aware that the verdict is binding on all schools in the State, Muri-Okunola said, adding that detailed rules on the wearing of the hijab will be sent to all government entities in due time.

“As a law-abiding administration, all accounting officers are to note the contents of this circular for immediate compliance and give it the deserved service-wide publicity,” he noted. 

In response to the development, Hajiah Mutiat Orolu-Balogun of the Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, HRAI, expressed happiness over the news and claimed that by making it simple for the supreme court’s ruling on the hijab to be implemented, the state has demonstrated that it is a responsible and law-abiding government.

In the event that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, wins the election next year, the party has pledged to enact a minimum salary of N80,000 to N100,000.

Ayo Olorunfemi, the party’s deputy national chairman, made this announcement on Thursday’s episode of Sunrise Daily on Channels Television.

Olorunfemi stated that the party intended to advocate for hourly paid jobs as mentioned in its manifesto while raising the present minimum wage from N30,000 to between N80,000 and N100,000.

In the LP’s manifesto, which was released a few days ago, Obi pushed for the payment of hourly wages rather than the nation’s current monthly system.

According to the LP chieftain, if a worker makes about N1,000 per hour at work, he can boast of earning N4,000 per day, which, depending on the nature of the job, can bring in between N80,000 and N100,000 per year.

“It depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500-N3,000 per day which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour,” Olorunfemi said.

“So, when you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.” He added.

The LP leader said that the party is targeting “N80,000-N100,000” as a new monthly minimum wage, adding that “that is exactly where we are headed!” when pressed for more clarification on his statement.

Olorunfemi said the present N30,000 minimum wage does not reflect the realities of the sweat of the Nigerian workers, adding that the Labour Party would ensure the new wage structure is implemented if the party wins next year’s polls at the centre.

“As a matter of fact, you know the amount of oil in the name of oil theft that has been leaving this country,” Olorufemi added. “We know where these things are coming from. They say there is no money but we know these monies have been stashed in the rooms or toilets of a few persons.”