ABU, MSSN Speak on Alleged Unfavourable Lecture Timetable for Muslim Students

ABU, MSSN Speak on Alleged Unfavourable Lecture Timetable for Muslim Students

- ABU's management has reacted to an allegation that one of the institution's department drafted a timetable to prevent Muslim students from observing prayers

- The management said it has commenced investigations to identify the department and address the issue

- The leadership of the MSSN in the northern university has also said it will investigate the claim to know the truth of the matter

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The Management of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria says it is investigating an alleged claim that the lecture timetable in a particular department in the institution is aimed at preventing Muslim students from observing their five mandatory prayers.

According to Daily Trust, the claim was contained in an open letter written to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Kabir Bala, by one Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim.

Legit.ng gathers that the letter stated that students in a particular department were denied rights to offer Zuhr (noon prayer) and Asr (afternoon prayer) at their prescribed time, calling it a violation of their human rights as Muslims.

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ABU, MSSN Speak on Alleged Unfavourable Lecture Timetable for Muslim Students
The Management of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria says it is investigating an alleged claim that lecture timetable is not favourable to Muslim parents. Photo credit: @Aburaees66
Source: Twitter

The letter stated that a copy of the timetable “show that lectures are slated for 1-2 pm, 2-4 pm and 4-6 pm” and gave instances where students who stepped out to observe Asr prayer after the 2-4 lecture were denied access to the next venue for the 4-6 lecture.

It added:

“The lecturer pledge to give a test the following week and those absent will not write the test. The targets are those outsides, those who went out to pray."

The writer said the timetable was an attempt to “Christianize the institution,” further alleging that lecturers in the said department also pushed lecture times on Friday in an attempt to clash with congregational prayers thereby making it impossible for Muslim students to attend Juma’at prayers.

The director of the Public Affairs Directorate of ABU, Auwalu Umar, said the university management had not received the letter but had sighted it online.

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He, however, said the management of the school has launched an investigation to know the department and faculty where this is taking place.

Also, the president of the Muslim Students’ Society in Nigeria (MSSN) at the university, Muhammad Zakariyya Al-Kaffawy, said the existence of the said timetable was never brought to the group's attention until the online post surfaced.

Al-Kaffawy who described it as unfortunate said the timetable which came out three months ago was not made public until towards the end of the semester.

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In other news, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has described the disagreement between Christians and Muslims over the use of Hijab by female students in 10 government grant-aided schools as unwarranted.

The monarch in a statement issued by his spokesman, AbdulAzeez Arowona on Wednesday, March 17, urged people of both religions to embrace peace.

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He said in order for peace to reign in the state, the two religions should continue to live in harmony with one another.

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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_

Source: Legit.ng

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