Aregbesola Denies Plans To Change Tradition, Identities Of Schools

 The Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has debunked the rumours making the rounds that the ongoing education reforms in the state were aimed at obliterating the heritage and changing the identities of schools in the state.

Aregbesola said the school re-classification of the state government is hinged on total re-engineering of the state education sector to make it functional, so as to be able to produce a total man.'

The governor said contrary to insinuation in some quarters that the identity, heritage and tradition of some institutions were at risk of being distorted or totally changed, his administration had no plan, either immediatly or in the future  to change any school's tradition.

The governor, who spoke in Osogbo, the state capital at this year's World Global Hand washing Day celebration, said government would not relent in its effort at providing the best education system for the state.

Aregbesola said the correction was necessary in view of allegations from certain groups that the reclassification was aimed at removing the identities of some schools that were originally set up by missionary groups before the take over of schools 38 years ago.

However, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has berated Aregbesola over the gradual Islamisation of the state without recourse to different faith professed by Osun indigenes and other Nigerians resident in the state.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, CAN General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, said the Aregbesola administration had conceived plans to Islamise the state as far back as 2012 as revealed by the State Security Service (SSS) intelligence report.

Asake contended that the 'conflict of ideas has as it focus of attention the secret hostile plan by Aregbesola to Islamise the state. It is a plan decided in secret which is to bring about the subversion of Christian activities in the state and the promotion of Islam.'

He faulted the decision of the state government to seek an Islamic bond, in a manner, CAN said was far from transparency, with the aim of derailing Christianity in the state.

'To ruin the activities of Christians in the state and overthrow Christian religion, the state government, contrary to wise counsel, went ahead to take an N11.4 billion Islamic sukuk bond. The implication of which is yet to be known.'

Speaking further, Asake observed that, 'taking an Islamic loan called sukuk in the name of a state with plural religion in a secular country like Nigeria can only mean that one religion is favoured above the other.'

He also accused the governor of dabbling into the practice of idolatry, where he was alleged to have declared a public holiday (Isese Day) for the worship and celebration of ancient idols such as Obatala, Shango, Yemoja! Ogun.

CAN also told journalists that aside from engaging in idolatry, the state government was bent on introducing similar body like Boko Haram by creating groups with similar aspiration to pursue the Islamisation of the state.

Asake further accused the governor of hijacking the Jama'atu Ta'awunil Muslimeen Society of Nigeria (TA'AWUN) in the state for purposes of pushing his ambition in Osun State.

On the reclassification of schools, CAN maintained that the purported move by the state government to mix Islamic students with Christian schools would cause 'loss of sanity' where hooliganism, occultism, rape and other social vices' will take sway.