…Warn Of Religious Crisis, Demand Immediate Reversal
Daud Olatunji
The League of Imams and Alfas has faulted the Ogun State Government’s proposed plan to return public schools to missionary organisations, warning that the move could trigger religious tension and undermine decades of peaceful coexistence.
In a strongly worded rejoinder signed by its Secretary-General, Imam Tajudeen Mustafa Adewunmi, the group described the policy as ill-advised, provocative and unjustifiable, insisting that it threatens the principles of equity, justice and religious balance in the state.
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun had earlier promised on behalf of the state government to handover some state government schools to the missionaries in the state.
Abiodun made this promise to the representative of Pope Leo who visited him at his office, Abeokuta, last week.
The clerics argued that public schools in Ogun State were nationalised to eliminate sectarian dominance and ensure inclusivity, stressing that reversing the policy would amount to reintroducing religious control into public institutions.
According to the statement, the move represents “a gross misreading of history” and a deliberate attempt to reopen old divisions, warning that it could deepen distrust among religious groups.
The group accused the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun of pursuing a policy that allegedly favours a particular religious bloc at the expense of the wider population.
“This move is discriminatory in effect and unacceptable in its entirety. It signals a troubling willingness to prioritise the interests of a particular religious group over the collective rights of all citizens,” the statement read.
The League maintained that the Muslim community, which it described as a significant and historically rooted population in the state, would not remain passive while its rights and sensitivities were allegedly ignored.
It warned that handing over public schools—built and maintained with taxpayers’ funds—to missionary bodies would be unjust and contrary to the ideals of inclusive governance.
The clerics, therefore, demanded the immediate and unconditional reversal of the policy, cautioning that failure to do so would be interpreted as a disregard for fairness.
They further warned that any attempt to implement the proposal without broad consultation and adequate safeguards would be met with “firm, coordinated and lawful resistance” from Muslim stakeholders and other concerned groups.
“Government exists to unite, not to divide; to protect, not to provoke,” the statement added, urging the state government to avoid actions capable of plunging the state into avoidable religious discord.
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