*Ogun school forcing CRS on JS1 to JS3 students named
*OSAMCA accused of holding state empowerment events in Church
*We will go and find out and get back to you – Official
By KEMI KASUMU
The group demanded reversal of what it called the imposition of CRS on students of public schools in the state “with emphasis on Abeokuta Grammar School which has consistently forced all students to study and pass CRS from JS1 to JS3.”
The Administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has been accused of adopting Christianity as state religion as it now chooses Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) as venue of state programmes.
It is also accused of imposing Christian Religious Studies (CRS) on students of the public schools in the state regardless of whether they are Christians or Muslims, which contravenes the constitutional rights of students that under no circumstances shall any religion other than the religion of his or her father be imposed on him or her.
Making these allegations was Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) in a statement signed by its President, Luqman Soliu, dated 6th September, 2022 and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Wednesday.
When called on the telephone for clarifications on the allegations received, a top government functionary in the state (names withheld) told The DEFENDER that the allegations are not true as it is impossible for the government to do anything that would be in contravention of the law or breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
But RIFA said it had lodged the complaint via a four-page letter addressed to the Ogun State Commissioner for Education and copied to stakeholders at Federal and state levels including Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Expressing its displeasure over the development, the human rights group berated the state government for working against the Constitution of the country “which the Governor swore to uphold.”
With relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution, Child Rights Act and Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act copiously cited, the group demanded reversal of what it called the imposition of CRS on students of public schools in the state “with emphasis on Abeokuta Grammar School which has consistently forced all students to study and pass CRS from JS1 to JS3.
“The group noted the imposition was in flagrant disregard for Section 10 of 1999 constitution (As Amended) which provides “The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion”.
“Similarly, the group also noted that Section 38(2) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) provides “No person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such instruction ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own, or religion not approved by his parent or guardian”.
“In line with the above, everybody is entitled to enjoy his or her freedom of faith without intimidation, coercion and oppression from any quarter,” it spoke in details.
State Religion
Going further, RIFA called that “immediately the current administration came on board in 2019, an illegal and unregistered association; Social Media Evangelism (SME) was granted the custody of copies of lists of public primary school students in Ogun West senatorial district.”
It said, “It took the intervention of the Advocates of justice to stall invasion of Ogun public primary schools by fundamentalists.
“Furthermore, the practice of Ogun State Agricultural and Multipurpose Credit Agency (OSAMCA) turning Redeemed Christians Church of God (RCCG) auditorium to venue for government empowerment programme with huge fund to, perhaps, empower RCCG members at the detriment of other citizens was rebuffed.
“This was in reaction to OSAMCA audacity whereby it held its entrepreneurship empowerment programmes for two weeks (May 17 to May 30, 2022) at the RCCG Region 12, Sagamu in addition to holding similar programme between 13th and 26th June 2022 at RCCG Regional Headquarters, , beside SOAS filling State, Adigbe, Abeokuta.
“The practice was not only alien to the Nigerian laws on neutrality of government but also specifically designed to deny none RCCG members opportunity to benefit from the programme.
“RIFA hereby call on the government to stop the divisive agenda as the State resources belong to all,” RIFA said while concluding by demanding that Ogun State Government preserves “the Constitution which the Governor swore to protect on behalf of the State Government by preventing further rape on the laws of the land.”
As at the time of filing this report, the Commissioner for Education had not been reached with a view to extracting his information concerning his findings regarding allegations as concern imposition of Christian Religious Studies (CRS) particularly by Abeokuta Grammar School.
However, the top government official, who spoke, said: “To the best of my knowledge, there is no official position on any religion in Ogun State, by the state government. No. There is absolutely religious freedom and religious tolerance any everything that we do.”
In the meantime, he noted that using a church venue for state event should not seen religionising the state if that is the venue that provides the needs for the purpose of event, just like the official, who himself is a Muslim, said a NASFAT premises opposite the Redeemed Church camp could also be used if its facility can help the state achieve its objectives.
“What can bother anyone is whether Muslims were stopped from participating in and benefiting from the empowerment programmes held in the RCCG facilities, which he said he was sure did not happen.”
The official, who was not reacting formally, nonetheless promised to conduct his findings with regards to all the allegations and then get back to The DEFENDER.
