Demand for return of mission schools: Muslims ask KWSG to stand by rule of law
By Saka Laaro, Ilorin.
Following agitation for the return of grant- aided mission schools to their former owners, the Muslim Stakeholders of Kwara State has urged the Kwara State government to stand by the rule of law in taking a final decision on the issue.
President, All Baptist Schools, Rev. Victor Adebayo Dada had in the wake of government’s approval for the use of hijab by Muslim female students last week asked the government to return 10- grant aided mission schools in the state to their former owners.
Dada said the return of the schools to the proprietors would forestall unnecessary trespass capable of leading to break down of law and order in the state.
But, in a counter move, the Muslim Stakeholders Of Kwara State noted that the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), Kwara State branch which engaged the state government in legal battle over the issue of ownership of the grant aided schools since 2013 “lost its two cases both in Ilorin High Court in 2016 and Court of Appeal in 2019.”
The Muslim stakeholders made their position known in a statement signed by Alh Is- haq AbdulKarim(Chairman) and Prof Ibrahim Abikan( secretary).
The group while commending the state government for approving the use of hijab in all public schools in the state said that: “ The decision of the state government is in consonance with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the National Policy on Education and Kwara State Education Edict which must be complied with under all circumstances.”
On the calls for the return of the grant-aided mission schools to their former owners, the Muslim group posited that the stance of the state government, past and present has been that schools handed over to it over 45 years ago by communities, individuals, Christian and Muslim missionary bodies have been under it and cannot be returned based on provisions of the laws.
It added, “In this circumstance, anybody, no matter his or her position in the society that challenges this position taken by the Kwara State government on this matter is an enemy of this state as we are not in a jungle but in a society governed by laws.
“ Whoever takes exception to ruling or any judgement of the court of law, they surely know what is next. If they therefore abandon that peaceful and lawful process and rely on propaganda, they are just wasting their times.
“ On this basis, therefore, we condemn the communiqué credited to Kwara State Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN) purportedly issued on 26th February, 2021 in which it claimed to have rejected the decision of the Kwara State government.
“ As CAN continues to ‘fight a lost battle’ , we invite the attention of all the security agencies in Kwara State to the inciting public statement in the communiqué under reference in which Kwara CAN that had already been described as ‘medulous Interlopers’ by the Court of Appeal- calling on all Christians to occupy all their grant-aided schools when the schools reopen on 8th March.”
