The importance of hijab wearing to Muslim women cannot be overemphasised. A Muslim girl, Kawasar Mohammad, a P.O.S. operator at Yunus Venture Kwarin Begger Junction along Maitumbi Road, Minna, Niger State, said wearing hijab by Muslim women is a welcomed development. According to her, "Hijab wearing, which entails covering the body from the head to the legs, is to protect against evil eyes." She added that Muslim women are to differentiate themselves by wearing hijab, either in government offices, markets, houses, or business centres.
She advises men who act as women in the film industry to be careful when it comes to wearing hijab and to always make proper use of the hijab dress codes for the women in their films. Hence, anything short of that is against Islamic law.
An Islamic scholar, Mallam Nuhu Haruna, said Muslim women between the ages of 12 and above should start wearing hijab, as indicated in the holy Qur'an and Hadiths.
He explained this to Newsline in his office at the Ahmadu Bahago Institute of Arabic Language Nursery and Primary School in Minna.
According to Mallam Nuhu, "the hijab worn by married women and those by non-married women can be easily identified." He, however, pointed out that all categories of Muslim women should cover their heads till down their legs whenever they are going out, either for naming ceremonies or wedding fatiha, among others. He called on Muslim women to make sure that their hijab always covers their bodies.
He pointed out that he is totally against a man who dresses like a woman, and also against a woman who dresses like a man. Such a dress is against Islamic law. He further noted that the Qur'an and Hadiths are not supportive of a man who changes his skin, bleaches, or even wears makeup on his face or has any design on his body.
He encouraged Muslim brothers and sisters to always obey the commandments of Allah and to stop all forms of wrongdoing to ensure that they enter paradise.
He urged them and other religious leaders to preach peace for their followers.
The provost of Fati Lami Abubakar Institute for Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) in Kpakungu Minna, Dr. Muhammad Aliyu Busa, has made a passionate appeal to the Niger State government for the construction of more structures in the institution.
Dr. Busa made the appeal yesterday in his address on the occasion of the 2023–2024 matriculation ceremony of the newly admitted students of the institute, held at the Mass Communication Lecture Theatre.
The provost said that the construction of more classrooms and lecture theatres will enhance the desire of students to learn in a conducive environment.
Dr. Muhammad Busa, who spoke further on some of the needs of the school management that require the urgent attention of the present administration, led by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, for intervention, also appealed for the completion of the 200-capacity female hostel, which was initiated by the past administration but has remained uncompleted up to date.
He also requested the landscapping of the institute, which, according to him, would give the institution a facelift.
The provost, who spoke earlier on the number of students who got admission into the institute for the 2023–2024 academic session, explained that over 3,000 candidates applied, but only 1,874 were successful and matriculated, with 384 from the law department being the highest number of matriculants, followed by mass communication and computer science with 205 students.
The provost, while congratulating them, said that lots of projects have been embarked upon by his administration, such as the construction of a moot court for law students, a mass communication laboratory comprising a TV and radio studio, and a micro-hall, among others, and urged them to be more focused in their academic activities in order for them to succeed in life, as well as justify the huge investment to be expended by their parents.
Dr. Busa used the occasion to inform the matriculants that his management has been able to secure approval by the federal government to run the institution as a state monothecnic with NBTE as a regulatory body, pointing out that four academic programmes to this effect have already commenced.
According to him, the institute under his management was able to secure accreditation for the Professional Diploma in Education and has over 22 Ph.D. holders presently in the institution, with many masters degree holders now, as compared to 2016 when he came on board as the provost of the institute.
In his message to the occasion, the Governor of Niger State, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, represented by the Commissioner of Tertiary Education, congratulated the matriculants and urged them to shun all forms of vices that would deprive them of their academic pursuit.
The Governor tasked the newly matriculated students to focus on their studies while assuring them and the management of the institute that his administration has plans to sponsor indigent students across tertiary institutions across the country with scholarships to reduce the burden faced by the parents.
The governor, who commended the provost of the institute for the numerous achievements recorded over the years, also informed the management that plans were underway by his administration to transform the College of Agriculture, Mokwa, to the University of Agriculture and the Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru, to the University of Science and Technology, stressing that a directive was issued by him to the ministry of tertiary education to work out the modality to ensure the actualization of the proposed plans.
Highlights of the occasion were the administration of oaths to the matriculants by the Chief Registrar of the High Court, Minna, Hassan Mohammed.
