Adesanya-Davies Congratulates Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Demands a Stop to Hijaab in Mission schools in Kwara State
President Bola Tinubu would never initiate or support any policy that would make Nigeria an Islamic State- Dayo Adeyeye
A former female Presidential Candidate, from Ira, Kwara State, Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies congratulates Mallam
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Governor of Kwara State says, “Stop the use of hijaab in Mission schools in Kwara State and return the Schools to the owners as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu defends return of Mission Schools with the transfer of 48 mission schools to their former owners, during his tenure insisting that is the right thing to do and there is no going back on the issue.”
First, citing the precedence and policy of President Bola Tinubu in Lagos state, “His excellency would never initiate or support any policy that would make Nigeria an Islamic State”, we had read.
She further quotes, “Governor Tinubu Defends Return of Mission Schools,” it was reported, “Amid the controversy trailing Lagos State’s recent transfer of 48 mission schools to their former owners. The state governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has defended the policy, saying that there is no going back on the issue.”
Secondly, she similarly implores the president to explicitly generalise the rule of his policy and implementation on returning the Mission schools to the owners in Nigeria, to re-energise and improve the quality of education in the entire country as in Lagos state and others.
AbdulRazaq inaugurated for a second term, as the Executive Governor of Kwara State on May 29, 2023, says “Education, healthcare, and others are priorities.” Adesanya-Davies commending Mallam
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on priorities of education and healthcare initiatives in the state, admonishes the governor to “Stop the use of hijaab in Mission schools in Kwara State and return the Schools back to the owners,” as an educational achievement in his first 100 days.
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was inaugurated for his second term on Monday, vowing to remain a responsible and responsive leader for the people of the state. Both the Governor and Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi were accompanied by their spouses — First Lady Ambassador Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq and Mrs Abieyuwa Alabi — and by members of their families and friends.
Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Abiodun Adebara administered the oath on the Deputy Governor in the presence of royalties, security commanders, government officials, party leaders, diplomats, technocrats, Labour leaders, and private sector leaders amongst others.
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari led all the first-class monarchs to the event, joined by the scion of the Abdulrazaqs and Mutawali of Ilorin Dr Alimi Abdulrazaq.
House of Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu led his colleagues to the event, which also had all the senators and House of Representatives members-elect in attendance. The Grand Kadi Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen; Head of Service Mrs Susan Modupe Oluwole; cabinet members led by Secretary to the State Government Prof. Mamman Saba Jubril; captains of industry, labour leaders, and media executives.
The Governor, who set out his spending priorities, said the second tenure would see him building on the gains of the last four years — His words: “The next four years will consolidate the gains of our first tenure and lay new foundations for sustained socioeconomic development and institutional growth. We are going to deepen the reforms and investments in critical sectors like education, healthcare delivery, civil service welfare, social safety programmes, general infrastructural upgrade and renewals, focused expansion of our economic base, and promotion of a political culture that advances self-reliance and growth.
Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, who thanked the attendees, urged the people of the state to continue to support the administration.
He said the government will continue to prioritise the interest of the people over all other considerations.
Further, on the Hijab and return Missionary Schools crises, “The hijab crisis is not peculiar to Kwara State. The genesis of the conflict dates back to 2012 when Christian groups demanded the return of mission schools taken over by the government in the 1970s during the military regime of Yakubu Gowon — under the plan by the government to provide “grants-in-aid.” The Kwara government, however, refused to grant the request, citing constraints over the Education Law of 2006. The law was later repealed.
During the 2022 hijaab saga in Kwara State, “Speaking on, ‘NO USE OF HIJAB IN CHRISTIAN MISSION SCHOOLS’, Rev. Dr. Olawuyi James, a senior pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ilorin, and a member of the Kwara chapter of CAN has explained, “The case is currently before the supreme court, insisting that hijab would not be allowed in mission schools.
In his words, “We are not objecting to Muslims using their hijab in full government schools, but not in Christian schools. There would continue to be resistance and civil disobedience by the Christians because we also have our fundamental rights and faith that we will not compromise,” he said.
“This is not just about the fundamental rights of women. You can’t talk about the fundamental rights of a Muslim in a Christian school but you’re not considering that same thing as fundamental rights for a Christian in a Muslim school.
“They (the government) are only talking about hijab and Muslim practice in Christian schools; they are not talking about Christian practices in Muslim schools.”
However, in a report in The Guardian (Lagos) by Yinka Aderibigbe, 1on 3 September 2001 titled: “Governor Tinubu Defends Return of Mission Schools,” it was reported that, “Amid the controversy trailing Lagos State’s recent transfer of 48 mission schools to their former owners, the state governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has defended the policy, saying that there is no going back on the issue. Tinubu disclosed this on Tuesday when the National Executive members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) led by its President Alhaji Ibrahim Umar visited him.”
Recently speaking, “Senator Dayo Adeyeye also recalled that the former governor of Lagos State, despite stiff resistance from stakeholders, returned all the missionary schools in the state, mostly owned by the Christians, to their original owners for better management, so he cannot Islamise Nigeria as he did not Islamise his wife and children who are Christians.
In a published report by Sunday Aborisade in Abuja, titled, “Tinubu Returned Lagos Mission Schools, Can’t Islamise Nigeria, Says Senator Adeyeye, 11 months ago: “Former Senate Spokesperson who is the Coordinator of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for President, (SWAGA), Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has allayed the fears in some quarters that the All Progressives Congress Presidential (APC) candidate would Islamise Nigeria if elected next year with his Muslim running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima. Adeyeye, in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, dismissed such fears, describing it as unfounded. He maintained that Tinubu who did not force his wife, a Pastor to become a Muslim would never initiate or support any policy that would make Nigeria an Islamic State.
Indices on the matter from states in the country, show similar news reports on the issue, for instance indicating Osun, Ogun and Ekiti returned mission schools to owners – “Oyebanjin on
5 Mar 2023 — Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has said that the state government decides to return mission schools to their original owners.”
In Premium Times Nigeria, at
https://www.premiumtimesng.com › … “Ondo moves to return mission schools to ‘original owners’. On 4 Mar 2022 — The governor said, the catholic church has signified interest to take over their schools in the state. Therefore, Ondo returns schools to missionaries 46 years after on 7 Mar 2022., while Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu made the disclosure.”
Anambra Returns 1040 Schools to Missionaries since
22 Nov 2011 — Missionary schools by the government, Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has returned 1,040 primary schools to the various missions.
Plateau State Returns Mission Schools: The Plateau State government has handed back to their original owners, 32 missionary schools which were taken over and have been under the control of the government to improve education standards in the state.
In another great development, we read, “Okowa gives N400m to forty mission schools in a report on 16 Mar 2023” — The owners of 40 Delta State Government-returned mission schools have received N400 million.
On 3 Aug 2022 — The Ogun Baptist Conference on Wednesday asked Governor Dapo Abiodun to return all the mission schools in the state to the original owners …
People even ask, Why did the government take over missionary schools in Nigeria? It has led to a low standard of Education in our School system.
Adesanya-Davies thus encourages the Governor to, “Stop the use of hijab in Mission schools in Kwara State and return the Schools back to the owners to improve the quality of education in the state.” For instance, “The owners of 40 Delta State Government-returned mission schools have received an N400 million grant to upgrade their facilities to improve teaching and learning from the State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa”, and this should be emulated towards sound education in the state as in our days.
The governor should as well as continue to forge ahead during his second and final tenure in the belief of equity, unity and progress of the State and its diversity. She concludes, “The only way to make everybody feel homely and happy in Kwara the ‘State of Harmony’ is to govern the people irrespective of their tribes and religious affiliation and in the spirit of unity without any tribal or religious bias as the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu promises and plans to govern, without any fear or favour.” Adesanya-Davies said, “The goal is to aim at the preservation of interest of all.”
God bless Kwara State, Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Samuel Nuhu
Media, PMACO
