Lagos State Government has denied banning use of hijab in public schools, as the issue is still being looked into with a view to taking a broad-based stand on it.

In a reaction to a report  by Punch newspaper which wrongly credited the Commissioner for Education,  Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, as writing off the possibility of allowing hijab in public schools, Government rejected the report as incorrect, sensational and out of context.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, said the government was still making wide consultations on the issue and will only come up with a position after exhausting all the avenues that will allow for a peaceful resolution of the matter.

To avoid a needless heightening of tension, the Commissioner advised people of the state, particularly Muslim faithful, not to allow people with diabolic intentions to trivialize the issue of sustaining the peaceful co-existence among diverse groups in the State.

He also advised media practitioners to avoid sensationalism and inflammatory statement in their reportage of government activities so as not to create unnecessary confusion and misrepresentation of government position.

Ibirogba explained that contrary to the Punch report, government was still meeting with the stakeholders on the issue as explained by Mrs. Oladunjoye and has, thus, not banned or disallowed hijab in public schools.

According to him, what Mrs. Olayinka explained at the briefing was that the government had held meetings with some key stakeholders and would still consult widely before taking a position, saying “it will therefore be premature and pre-emptive to say that government has rejected the use of hijab in public schools in Lagos”.

The Commissioner added that it was strange that the explanation of a public officer about on-going effort to resolve an issue could be misconstrued to mean that government had taken a negative position on such an issue.

He thanked Lagosians for tolerating one another by living peacefully without playing up divisive interests and advised them to continue to be their brothers’ keepers.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday received the Consul General of the Italian Embassy in Lagos on a courtesy visit, giving a commitment that Lagos as the most populous state in Nigeria is ready to play her role in an increasingly globalised world.

The Governor who spoke at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja said the state is mindful of the challenges that a larger theatre of operation brings, but is positive that the State can strike a very significant chord of progress.

“As we go forward clearly the global world order is changing. There are new challenges across the globe and hands of partnerships are being spread across different continents.  Africa will play a major role in how the future of human civilization is ordered in the next few decades.

“As the most populous country in Africa and the most populous state in that country we have things well cut out for us. We are ready to play our role in an increasingly globalized world. We are mindful of the challenges that a larger theatre of operation brings but we think if we look at the glass as half full rather than as half empty we can strike very significant chord of progress

“We can run a marathon towards development, towards peace and security, towards a better life. It will only mean that the basis for engagements would be mutuality of respects. It would also mean that certain existing legal orders will have to give way to a new legal order”, the Governor reiterated.

He explained that the new legal order should be one that is perhaps better suited to deal with challenges that are emerging at a time when the existing legal order didn’t contemplate that things would be this fluid.

Governor Fashola said the world is rising very quickly and resultantly imposing heavier responsibility on the younger generation more than what anyone taught was possible a few years ago.

He added that even as a Government, Lagos State more than any government has done a lot of business with Italian companies such as G. Cappa, Cappa and D’Alberto among many others in the very early life of this state, adding that those are relationships the state will want to continue.

The Governor stated that even in the transport industry as recently as last year, the State still had cause to do business with Italy because the asphalt plant that produces the bitumen and asphalt that is used on Lagos roads has Italian origin.

“We had to undertake a turnaround of that asphalt plant which has helped in no small ways to improve the capacity of our Public Works Corporation and to keep Lagos traffic moving”, he said.

While assuring him of the fullest support and enjoyment of the traditional hospitality of the people of Lagos, he said the people are willing and the State Government is ready to engage in partnership with the Italian people, the Italian Government and country.

Speaking earlier, the Consul General of Italy, Dr Stefano De Leo said he was at the Lagos House office of the Governor to present himself and the Italian Embassy to the government and people of Lagos State.

While thanking the Governor for all the cooperation received by the Italian Embassy, he said the Embassy has an open door for all needs of the State and would be ready to cooperate in fields where both have common interests.

Among those who joined the Governor to receive the Consul General of the Italian Embassy in Lagos were the Commissioners for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, Health, Dr Jide Idris, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr (Mrs) Idiat Adebule and Information and Strategy Commissioner, Mr Lateef Ibirogba as well as the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Relations, Ms Toyin Caxton-Martins.