Schools merger: CAN gives Aregbesola 7-day ultimatum

Osun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has given a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to reverse the merger of schools and return them to their original owners. The state government had, last week, commenced the merger of public primary and secondary schools in the state under its schools reclassification programme. CAN in a letter addressed to the state Governor, Mr’. Rauf Aregbesola and signed by its state chairman, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, urged Aregbesola to revert the new education policy in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state. Also, CAN called for a reverse on the changing of single sex schools to mixed schools, saying that would help to preserve the religious character of the schools. The body said failure of the state government to reverse to the status quo on the state education system would make it take further actions on the matter. CAN also advised Aregbesola to take the interest of all religions into consideration while making policies, saying that he was voted into office by both Christians and Muslims. The letter reads: “We observe that the foundation of Christian faith is being seriously threatened by some policies of the state government, especially in the education sector, which the church is strongly averse to and it is not ready to compromise.” Reacting, to CAN threat, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi said: “You don’t reverse a policy that will bring up decent, brilliant and successful students in the schools.” He appealed to CAN and other interest groups in the state to be tolerant with the state government on the new education policy in the state, stressing that “if there is any government with human feelings, Aregbesola’s government has demonstrated in many ways that Osun State is a reference point in human development index.”