Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, yesterday said the scheme is against the use of hijab during orientation camp exercise due to its security implication.
Olawumi, who stated this during a courtesy visit to NYSC national headquarters in Abuja by a group of Muslim youths under the aegis of League of Muslim Youths in Da’wah, insisted that NYSC would only accommodate the use of small hijab.
Olawumi also denied the allegation by the visiting youths that NYSC had infringed on the right of female Muslim corps members in the camp, challenging the group to report any infraction to the leadership of the scheme for proper action.
Earlier, National Coordinator of LMYiD, Luqman Hassan and Deputy coordinator, Kamarudeen Adefila, had told the NYSC DG that a major protest by Muslims was averted because of the ban on hijab in most orientation camps.
Adefila added, “Many Muslim organisations wanted to protest, but we said wait a while. In fact, we had to intervene to avoid the situation and if Muslims march on the streets, it will generate a lot of negative comments, but people won’t know why we are protesting.”
Credit: NationalMirror