As the controversy over the removal of religious studies from the school curriculum rages, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has vowed that it would resist any idea by the government to in a way use education to turn, Nigeria into a one state religion.
The Association viewed the move by the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce what could bring another religious crisis into the country.
The chairman of the Christian Association in Oyo State Pastor Benjamin Olayiwola Akanmu who is also a member of Executive Council of the Association at the Federal Level revealed in an Exclusive interview that, the body would hold a crucial meeting in August where further decision would be made on the stand of the Association regarding the move of the government.
Pastor Akanmu who is also the Head of the Christ Apostolic Church, Headquarters at Yemetu Ibadan, said that he believes, that there are some mercenaries in government who are working for an Islamic group and in order to prove that they are working, they need to do what would make the country look like a one religion state, without considering that Nigeria is a secular state with three strong religions of Christianity, Islam, and traditional religion.
He argued that the government was wrong to have made Arabic Language as one of the compulsory Languages to be taught in schools.
According to him, the government should understand that if Arabic Language is introduced in schools, people who practice other religions too could advocate that the language from where their religion originates from should be taught in schools. He said why government should pick Arabic studies and French as an alternative. The government he said should as well introduce other languages like Jewish, Latin, German, Dutch etc. He argued that with the way things are now, Christians could call on government to introduce Jewish language and any attempt to ignore it could be interpreted to mean that the government is partial.
According to Pastor Akanmu, government should not do anything that would disrupt the peace of the country. All religions should be accorded the same priority and government should be seen to be fair to all
‘’Let us be sincere to ourselves if the government insist that it is only Arabic language And French as alternative would be taught in schools, it is calling for problem and I can assure you that this cannot work. To now say that you want to give preference to one religion than the other, to me, is unfair. It cannot work and I believe that God will not allow it to work.’’
The Christian Association of Nigeria is looking at the issue critically and that ‘’is why we are going to meet in Abuja to give the government our stand on the policy which is meant to derail the social and economic peace of the country. We are saying that if the government has nothing to hide and there are no ulterior motives behind their actions, they should come out with papers that would spell out the policy on the reforms of education,’’
Also, former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Osun State, Reverend Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya has said that the attitude of government shows that the people don’t mean anything to them. He said ‘’it is sad that the government in Nigeria treat the people with levity which has resulted in most of their policies breaking down.’’
He said that as far as Christians are concerned, government has not been carrying ‘’us along and that has always been our bane, adding that any policy to put one religion above the other would be counterproductive and it would not augur well for the country because it could at the end of the day lead to agitations from various quarters that could also lead to distractions to govern properly’’. He warned that Government should now be vigilant to look for third columnists among the people serving You see once a policy is made which has something to do with our faith; we would react because some of these policies could have negative effect in the future. We are always worried and that is why we have not been finding it easy with government’’
Meanwhile, other people, who reacted to the move, include an Islamic cleric, and scholar, Dr. Abdulahi Garfar who said that the move did not affect the Christians alone but the Muslims as well. He frowned at the way government has merged Religious studies with social studies calling it subject of National value. ‘’Government should allow things to be the way they were and let there be Bible knowledge and Islamic studies’’ With this, people would be able to see clearly that there is a sharp difference between Islamic studies and Arabic language’’
In his own reaction, the Secretary General of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr. Kunle Olajide said Federal government has no business in dabbling into education because it is a constitutional matter which put education under concurrent list and only the states right to decide the kind of education to be operated in their respective state. ‘’ It is not the duty of the federal government to draw the curriculum in school. Education is on the concurrent list and as such the federal government does not determine education of states. For me, that is no issue. I don’t have any fact but I don’t believe it, it is not possible’’
A legal Practitioner, in Ibadan, Barrister Peter Idowu, in his own comment on the matter, said ‘’if it is true I don’t think it would see the light of the day because it cannot be possible. They cannot make Arabic language as one of the compulsory languages in schools and for anybody. There should be freedom of education. Education is on the concurrent list which makes it the prerogative of the states to legislate on education. It is also a constitutional matter because no one can infringe on the rights of others. There is freedom of opinion, association, and interest. That policy on the curriculum cannot work.
Despite the denial of the government on the matter, some Nigerians are still casting aspersions on the government saying that those in authority could be economical with the truth. They argued that there could not be fire without smoke and if there were no steps being taken to implement the policy, such a sensitive matter could not have come into public glare.
In his reaction, Comrade Ilesanmi Omoniyi, Chairman of the 2011-2012 pensioners forum in Osun state, who spoke in Ede, said that with the ways the present government is carrying out and implementing its policies no one can believe the denial of the government. He was of the opinion that Nigerian governments are fond of deceiving the people, saying that he could not imagine what could have been the motives of those in government to have in any form or way conceived the idea of expunging religious studies in school saying that it must have been meant as a ploy to destroy the education of some people in some parts of the country.
In his own reaction, the Osun State, Peoples Democratic Party secretary, Hon Bola Ajao, said that the move is, immoral, illogical and unthinkable that religious studies can be yanked off the curriculum of our children. This also shows that the mover of the policy wants to be clever by half and portray Nigeria as a circular state to mean that we don’t have a state religion. If we don’t teach religion, how do we teach our people to remember God?
Also, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi the Director of Publicity and strategy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state, said though the federal government has denied the story, be it as it may, the idea could not have worked because it would generate so much heat. It is also against the Constitution under section 10 which says Nigeria is a secular state where people are free to practice the religion of their choice.