Hijab Controversy: Why We Postponed Public Hearing On Hijab — Reps

* …As Muslim Groups Kick, Call for Report Without
Hearing

The public hearing on the controversy generated by ‎the refusal
of the Nigerian Law School to call one of its graduands, Miss Amasa
Firdausi to bar over her wearing of hijab (an Islamic veil for
women), was again suspended on Wednesday.

The suspension according to the chairman of the House of
Representatives Committee on Justice, Hon. Abdulrazak Atunwa, was
due to an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja asking the House
to stay action.

The Chairman before adjourning the hearing, which had been put
off on two different occasions due to requests by the Body of
Benchers, apologised to stakeholders who thronged the venue of the
hearing with a view to making their voices heard.

Displaying a copy of the court order issued by one Justice A I
Chikere, of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division and signed by
Ben Mulokwu, Registrar, Hon Atunwa said that the committee was
obliged to further suspend the hearing in order allow the ‎suit No:
FHC/ABJ/CS/110/2018 filed by Adeniyi Ojo Esq and 7 others to be
determined.

Reacting to the development, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, also a lawyer
questioned the right of the court to intervene in a parliamentary
proceeding.

Ayorinde argued that the Bill of Rights, which covers the
legality of actions by each arm of government, empowers the
parliament to carry out investigations into matters of public
importance in line with provisions of the constitution.

He added: “By virtue of the existence of the Bill of Rights, the
Committee could go ahead and conduct the hearing, but having been
approached by the Chairman over this, I would want to defer to him
on the basis of the need to respect judicial pronouncement with a
view to protecting the system just as we wouldn’t like the
institution of the legislature to be disobeyed.”

But Muslim groups, who besieged the venue expressed
disappointment at the decision of the Committee to have allowed
itself get manipulated by the “frivolous” court order.

One of the stakeholders at the hearing and a director of Muslim
Rights Concern MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, briefed the press on
behalf of the coalition, expressing frustration over the series of
postponements being suffered by the hearing.

He said those who went to Court to obtained frivolous injunction
against the hearing are afraid of the truth because they have no
point to prove or argue.

He said: “Amasa Firduasi should be called to bar like every
other lawyers of her graduation year.

“Amasa remains a heroin and as such has our support 110
percent”, he said, adding that the case may continue to suffer
further “kangaroo” injunctions.

The groups affirmed that justice delayed is justice denied,
insisting that Amasa Firduas must be called to bar without further
delay.

They also urged the Committee to disregard the issue of public
hearing and focus on working with the 87 memoranda so far received
and write its report.

The coalition is made up of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
the Association of Muslims Legal Practitioners (AMLP), Coalition of
Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) among others.

* …As Muslim Groups Kick, Call for Report Without
Hearing

The public hearing on the controversy generated by ‎the refusal
of the Nigerian Law School to call one of its graduands, Miss Amasa
Firdausi to bar over her wearing of hijab (an Islamic veil for
women), was again suspended on Wednesday.

The suspension according to the chairman of the House of
Representatives Committee on Justice, Hon. Abdulrazak Atunwa, was
due to an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja asking the House
to stay action.

The Chairman before adjourning the hearing, which had been put
off on two different occasions due to requests by the Body of
Benchers, apologised to stakeholders who thronged the venue of the
hearing with a view to making their voices heard.

Displaying a copy of the court order issued by one Justice A I
Chikere, of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division and signed by
Ben Mulokwu, Registrar, Hon Atunwa said that the committee was
obliged to further suspend the hearing in order allow the ‎suit No:
FHC/ABJ/CS/110/2018 filed by Adeniyi Ojo Esq and 7 others to be
determined.

Reacting to the development, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, also a lawyer
questioned the right of the court to intervene in a parliamentary
proceeding.

Ayorinde argued that the Bill of Rights, which covers the
legality of actions by each arm of government, empowers the
parliament to carry out investigations into matters of public
importance in line with provisions of the constitution.

He added: “By virtue of the existence of the Bill of Rights, the
Committee could go ahead and conduct the hearing, but having been
approached by the Chairman over this, I would want to defer to him
on the basis of the need to respect judicial pronouncement with a
view to protecting the system just as we wouldn’t like the
institution of the legislature to be disobeyed.”

But Muslim groups, who besieged the venue expressed
disappointment at the decision of the Committee to have allowed
itself get manipulated by the “frivolous” court order.

One of the stakeholders at the hearing and a director of Muslim
Rights Concern MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, briefed the press on
behalf of the coalition, expressing frustration over the series of
postponements being suffered by the hearing.

He said those who went to Court to obtained frivolous injunction
against the hearing are afraid of the truth because they have no
point to prove or argue.

He said: “Amasa Firduasi should be called to bar like every
other lawyers of her graduation year.

“Amasa remains a heroin and as such has our support 110
percent”, he said, adding that the case may continue to suffer
further “kangaroo” injunctions.

The groups affirmed that justice delayed is justice denied,
insisting that Amasa Firduas must be called to bar without further
delay.

They also urged the Committee to disregard the issue of public
hearing and focus on working with the 87 memoranda so far received
and write its report.

The coalition is made up of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
the Association of Muslims Legal Practitioners (AMLP), Coalition of
Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) among others.