The League of Imams and Alfas in Ogun State has rejected the state government’s plan to return public schools to their original missionary owners, describing the move as “ill-advised, provocative and unjustifiable.”
The reaction follows Governor Dapo Abiodun’s recent announcement that all missionary schools in the state would be handed back to their original proprietors as part of efforts to strengthen partnerships with private and religious organisations in the education sector.
The governor made the statement while receiving the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Most Rev. Michael Crotty, alongside Catholic bishops and other church officials at his office in Abeokuta.
He said the state government could not achieve its development goals alone and needed collaboration with private stakeholders, including religious bodies, to expand access to education.
However, in a statement on Monday, the Secretary General of the League of Imams and Alfas in the state, Imam Tajudeen Adewunmi, condemned the policy, saying it misinterprets history and threatens religious balance in the state.
He argued that the nationalisation of public schools was originally done to eliminate sectarian control, warning that reversing the policy could deepen distrust and destabilise social harmony.
Adewunmi described the proposal as discriminatory in effect, adding that it suggests preferential treatment for a particular religious group at the expense of others.
He called for the immediate withdrawal of the policy, insisting that any attempt to proceed without broad consultation would be strongly resisted by the Muslim community and other stakeholders.
The group also warned that public institutions, which they said were built and maintained with collective resources, must not be returned to sectarian control.
They urged the government to focus on unity and inclusive governance, saying policies should strengthen social cohesion rather than create division in the state.