A group, the Muslim Congress (TMC) in Edo State, on Wednesday, faulted the move by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to transfer 36 publicly funded secondary schools to the Catholic Church and other Christian missionary organisations.
The group, led by Alhaji Ismail Muthair, Waali(Head), in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Benin, described the move as discriminatory and a dangerous affront to Nigeria’s secular principles.
He said the decision is particularly egregious given that many of these schools sit on land originally donated by Muslim communities under the belief that they were contributing to public education, not religious indoctrination.
According to him, this move, predominantly affecting Edo North Senatorial District, a Muslim-majority region, is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and a dangerous affront to Nigeria’s secular principles.
Muthair said that the Muslim Congress demands an immediate reversal of this unconstitutional policy.
He urged the Edo State Government, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, non-governmental human rights organisations, and all advocates of justice to intervene and prevent the alleged violation of constitutional and democratic principles.
“We therefore call on the governor to uphold his oath of office by ensuring that public education remains neutral, accessible and equitable for all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation.
“The Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended) explicitly prohibits the adoption of any state religion (Section 10) and guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Section 38). By surrendering public schools, built and maintained with funds from taxes paid by citizens of all faiths, to Christian bodies, the Edo State Government is effectively endorsing one religion over others, thereby violating constitutional provisions on equality (Section 42) and the secularity of the state.
“Furthermore, the schools being returned are not the same institutions taken over by the government decades ago; they have been expanded, upgraded and sustained with public funds, making this handover a gross misappropriation of collective resources.
“Governor Okpebholo’s failure to consult Muslim stakeholders, education boards, or affected communities before this decision demonstrates a deliberate exclusion of Muslim voices and a blatant disregard for inclusive governance.
“Even more alarming is the governor’s plan to use public funds, drawn from taxpayers of all faiths, to renovate these schools before transferring them to Christian entities. This constitutes a misuse of state resources to advance a sectarian agenda.
“Failure to do so will deepen religious divisions, erode public trust, and set a dangerous precedent for institutionalised discrimination,” Muthair said.
