Why Governor Zulum Directs Immediate Investigation into MURIC’s Claims of Hijab Harassment in Maiduguri Hospitals

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has directed the commissioner of health, Baba Malam Gana, to investigate the allegations of harassment meted out to some health workers who wore hijabs to work in some government hospitals.

In a directive issued on Thursday through his spokesman, Dauda Iliya, Prof. Zulum asked the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Mallam Gana, to undertake an immediate and thorough investigation to ascertain the veracity of the claims of harassment flying around the online space.

The governor expressed deep worries over the statement by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) alleging the harassment of Muslim women for wearing hijab in some hospitals in Maiduguri.

He noted that while the government is “not aware of any official report or complaint’ regarding such incidents, his administration has taken the allegations with the utmost seriousness.

The statement noted that Zulum reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting the religious rights and dignity of all citizens, particularly that of women.

He stated that Borno State, being a predominantly Muslim society, holds hijab in high esteem, and any form of harassment against those who choose to wear it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“The welfare and rights of our citizens, especially our mothers, wives, and daughters, are paramount. We have zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment.

“While we have no prior record of such complaints, we are not taking these allegations lightly. This investigation will be swift and transparent. If any wrongdoing is found, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken immediately,” Zulum assured.

Zulum urged the public, and specifically individuals who have experienced such treatment, to come forward and assist in the investigation with credible information to ensure a fair and just outcome.

“I assure the public that the Borno State government under my leadership will not tolerate any action that unjustly targets or humiliates any segment of our society,” he concludes.

MURIC had reported that three government hospitals in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, were accused of harassing Muslim women who wear Islamic garments.

Those they mentioned were the Maiduguri General Hospital, Umaru Shehu Hospital, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

MURIC levelled the allegation in a statement titled ‘Maiduguri Hospitals Harassing Muslim Women’ in a press release, which was signed by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, and circulated among newsmen on Thursday.

Removal of hijab for security checks

MURIC had alleged that the security officials were fond of asking some women with suspicious body architecture to remove the veil so that they could see what they were carrying underneath before entering the hospital, where they could replace the hijab.

“Hiding under the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity in the state, the security details at the gates of the three hospitals are in the habit of ordering Muslim women who wear niqabs (Islamic veils) to remove them completely as they approach the gates until they enter the hospitals’ premises.” It had posited.

At the height of the insurgency, most of the suicide bombers who were nabbed before they exploded the IEDs on them were found to have hidden such explosives in between their breasts and private parts before wearing the hijab and approaching their victims.

Whenever the insurgents wire them like that, they direct them to approach heavily crowded places where they detonate such explosives, leaving very high casualties at most times.

Why Governor Zulum Directs Immediate Investigation into MURIC’s Claims of Hijab Harassment in Maiduguri Hospitals

ECOWAS Meets to Fill Staff Vacancies of Exited Members, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) seems to have finally gotten the exit of of the Alliance of Sahel States- Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.behind it as Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries of the regional body met on Thursday in Abuja to fill vacancies left by the citizens of the departed countries in the bloc.

The bloc is also expected to determine how to treat staff with dual nationalities, staffers with both AES and ECOWAS nationalities.

Speaking at the opening of the Extra Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers on recruitment and the case of staff from AES Countries from Grade P4 and below, the Chairman of Council of Ministers and Sierra Leone Minister of Foreign Afairs and International Cooperation, Alhaji Musa Kabba, said the Council’s meeting aims to discuss the allocation of statutory positions to member states, and to discuss the recruitment and status of staff from AES Countries from Grade P4 and below.

Kabba said the process are critical barometers for gauging our institutional credibility and an affirmation of our regional solidarity.

He noted that focus should not only be on the parameters of equitable distribution of these statutory positions across member states, but also, we should be particularly concerned about fairness and inclusivity to ensure that everyone is involved with a shared vision for the future.

Kabba noted that the decisions of the gathering “must be grounded in due process, transparency, equity, and in alignment with the broader regional commitments, as building blocks to guarantee economic integration, regional peace and security, and our democratic tenets as a community.”

He added: “let me now draw the attention of this esteemed Council to the work of the Ad-hoc Ministerial Committee – a committee constituted by over 70% of our membership, this makes the decision of the Ad-hoc committee a fait accompli, which makes it compelling to review the procedures of the establishment of Ad-Hoc Committees.

“It is also important to note that members of the ad-hoc Committee would have reviewed the commission’s proposals on the statutory positions which will inform our deliberations on the presentation of the memorandum on proposals for the allocation of statutory positions to member states.”

In her welcome address, Nigeria Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said: “Nigeria remains steadfast in its role as a dependable partner, ever ready to contribute meaningfully to the strengthening of our Community institutions and to the realization of the noble objectives for which this Organization stands. We believe that with collective effort and renewed dedication, we can build a more effective, responsive, and fully functional organisation that truly serves the aspirations of our region and beyond.”

On his part, the President of the Commission, Aliou Touray said: “This extraordinary Council is borne out of necessity. In the last three years, we have struggled to fill vacancies in our institutions using a staff regulation that constrains management’s ability to administratively expedite the process. It has therefore become necessary to refer to Council from time to time to help us untangle the web. We are very grateful to Council for the earlier waiver which enabled us to have shorter time frame for advertisements of vacant positions. With this, we have now published and received a sizeable number of applications.

“However, Excellencies, the challenge currently, is with the processing of these applications and the scheduling of interviews. These have been slower than the rate of staff attrition, due to aging workforce with an average annual loss of staff to retirement estimated at 13 personnel. The volume of applications is beyond the capacity of the recruitment firms in place, due to the largely manual method used in processing the applications. “Therefore, we have had to recruit additional recruitment firms and sought your approval for these International Independent firms to come in assist with an end-to-end recruitment exercise. I have also directed the Internal Services Department to accelerate the deployment of e-recruitment system to fast track the processing of applications.

“With the sudden departure of large number of our workforce who are nationals of the countries that exited from the Organisation, namely Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, we are faced with the challenge of replacing them. We need Council to guide us in the equitable distribution of the vacant positions among all the Member States, without sacrificing competence. As our staff regulations did not provide any guidance on how to allocate vacant positions to specific member states for the purpose of achieving equity, it has become necessary for Council to provide its guidance on the way forward.

“We are therefore pleased to present to you a memorandum with proposals on how to achieve this equitable distribution of the positions and fast track the recruitment process. In making these proposals, the Commission took into account the current staff distribution per member state, and the interest of those member states with poor representation in the current workforce of the institutions. Our goal is to achieve equity, ensure quality and consolidate on the solidarity which strengthens our Community.

“As management, we are committed to protecting the interests of each member states, whether their nationals are represented in the Management of the Institutions or not. We have taken an oath to serve the entire community and not our narrow national interests. We therefore look forward to your deliberations and guidance on this matter.”

ECOWAS Meets to Fill Staff Vacancies of Exited Members, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger

Zulum Orders Immediate Investigation into MURIC’s Claims of Hijab Harassment in Maiduguri Hospitals

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum said he received with great concern a statement by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) alleging the harassment of muslim women for wearing hijab in some hospitals in Maiduguri.

Zulum noted that while the government is not aware of any official report or complaint regarding such incidents, his administration has taken the allegations with utmost seriousness.

In a directive issued on Thursday through his spokesperson, Dauda Iliya, Zulum, ordered the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Mallam Gana, to undertake an immediate and thorough investigation to ascertain the veracity of these claims.

The statement noted that Zulum reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting all citizens’ religious rights and dignity, particularly that of women. He stated that Borno State, being a predominantly muslim society, holds hijab in high esteem and any form of harassment against those who choose to wear it, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“The welfare and rights of our citizens, especially our mothers, wives, and daughters, are paramount. We have zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment. While we have no prior record of such complaints, we are not taking these allegations lightly. This investigation will be swift and transparent. If any wrongdoing is found, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken immediately,” Zulum assured.

The statement added that Zulum urges the public, and specifically individuals who have experienced such treatment, to come forward and assist in the investigation with credible information to ensure a fair and just outcome.

“I assure the public that, that Borno State government under my leadership will not tolerate any action that unjustly targets or humiliate any segment of our society,” he concludes.

Zulum Orders Immediate Investigation into MURIC’s Claims of Hijab Harassment in Maiduguri Hospitals