1. The beginning of problems in primary and secondary school education sector in Nigeria is traceable to Schools Take-Over (Validation) Decree of 1977. That decree validated the takeover of mission and voluntary agency schools by state military governors through their respective edicts.

2. The Decree ousted the jurisdiction of courts to entertain suits on schools takeover and voided all cases in courts on the issue. It made payment of compensation to owners of schools taken over by government discretionary.

3. Schools takeover by the military governments was a misadventure. That was the beginning of the rot in the primary and secondary school system. According to a retired school principal: “You know that all the big schools we had in the country at that time produced the best and most of the big names in our society. They were all mission schools".

KWARA STATE GOVERNMENT ABOUT GRANTING AIDS

In 2020 the state announced schools to be renovated.

Take a look at the list.

1. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of existing and additional facilities, Ilorin Grammar School, Ilorin west LGA.


2. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Govt High School, Ilorin East LGA.

3. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Patigi Sec school, Patigi LGA

4. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Government Secondary school, Lafiagi, Edu LGA.

5. Comprehensive renovation / construction of Offa Grammar school, Offa LGA.

6. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Oro Grammar school, Oro, Irepodun LGA.

7. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Government Secondary school, Share, Ifelodun LGA.

8. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Government (Unity) Secondary school, Kaiama, Kaiama LGA.

9. Block of classrooms (SS1), Government Secondary School, Alapa, Asa LGA.

10. Block of 3 classroom, Ansar Islam Secondary School, Laduba, Asa LGA.


11. Block of 4 classrooms with 4 offices (SS1A, B& C), College of Arabic and Islamic Studies (CAIS), Ilorin West LGA.

12. Block of classrooms SS1A and B and Block B, Community Secondary School, Baboko, Ilorin West LGA.

13. Block of 4 classrooms with principal's office, Government Secondary School, Okelele, Ilorin East LGA.

14. SS1 and SS3 classrooms, with an office, Government Day Secondary School, Omode, Ilorin South LGA.

15. Block of 2 classroom SS1A and SS1B, Block of 2 classrooms SS1C and SS2C, Government Secondary school, Agbabiaka, Ilorin South LGA.

16. Block of classrooms (damaged and abandoned) block, Government Arabic College, Jebba, Moro LGA.


17. Abandoned block of 4 classrooms with toilet attached (SS2), Government Secondary school, Malete, Moro LGA.

18. Block of 4 classrooms, (Sport, Bursary and Staff room block), Ansar Islam Secondary school, Ikotun, Oyun LGA.

19. Block of 4 classrooms (Classrooms, principal's and Vice Principal's Office), Ojoku Grammar School, Ojoku, Oyun LGA.

20. Block of 4 classrooms, Ajara Isin High School, Isin LGA.

21. Block of 4 classrooms with toilet at both ends, Victory College of Commerce, Edidi, Isin LGA.

22. SS1, SS2 and SS3 A & B classrooms, Oyelagbawo Grammar School, Irepodun LGA.

23. Block of 3 classrooms with an office and store, Government Secondary school, Omu-Aran, Irepodun LGA.

24. Block of 2 classrooms with 4 stores (SS Section), Osi central school, Osi, Ekiti LGA.

25. Block of 3 classrooms with 2 offices, Senior Sec school, Isolo Opin, Ekiti LGA.

26. Dilapidated 2 classrooms & abandoned 2 classrooms as extra hall, Government Secondary school, Tsaragi, Edu LGA.

27. Block of 3 classrooms with an office and store (Examination Hall), Jamat Nasr Islam Community Grammar School, Odo-Owa, Oke-Ero LGA.

28. Block of 6 classrooms with offices (Partly collapsed/ damaged), Government Day Secondary school, Okuta, Baruten LGA.

29. Block of 4 classrooms (SS2, JSS2, Staff room), Government Secondary school, Ilesha-Baruba, Baruten LGA.


For people who are quite familiar with Kwara State would see the list as very lopsided aids granting. No mention of Christian mission schools that they want to be wearing hijab. These missions still labour to maintain the facilities somehow.


THE TRUTH ABOUT AID GRANTING TO SCHOOLS FOUNDED BY MISSIONARIES IN KWARA

1. The taking over of the schools seems like an agenda by non Christians to have what they could not build.

a. Most guys at the helms of affairs in Kwara State from Islamic religion attended mission schools.

b. While at mission schools even after the takeover the issue of hijab did not arise. So why now?

2. Government is no granting aids but just paying salaries. The missions were paying their staff and taking care of their schools- well tended lawn, beautiful trees, orchards, well equipped libraries before government took over- the two primary schools I attended had libraries, well equipped home economics labs, etc which I met but the last Christmas, I wept seeing most of the classes in ruins.

3. The clamour for hijab is beyond allowing a piece of veil to cover for an identity

a. It is a gradual process to wipe out Christian identity from the mission schools

b. There have been running battle to build mosque at St.Anthony, Mt Camel, C&S, Bishop Smith, ECWA Oja-iya, Baptist Surulere, St Barnabas etc. Some of the schools are located inside church premises. It is known fact that Islam loves public expressions, a desire to be noticed at all cost at the expense of the peace of others

c. This could be an attempt to wrestle the privileges of the mission to appoint qualified members of their missions as principals. It could be a case of Alh. Isiaka Okelele- the Principal of St. Barnabas Anglican School, Sabo Oke, Ilorin.

CONCLUSION
I will rather suggest Kwara State CAN should study the agreement between government and the mission in 1974 to take action. Also, when schools were taken over, it was by decree which forbade any court action by the mission. Can it be challenged under democracy? After all the decay, the rot in the facilities in the various mission schools that government supposed to be responsible for no be here.

I don't know why government does not appoint the local board for these schools but the mission. Why do we like to copy and paste knowing for a fact that we live in different clime in Nigeria full of different culture, ethnicity and religion.

Gandollaar

LifeQuest:
1. The beginning of problems in primary and secondary school education sector in Nigeria is traceable to Schools Take-Over (Validation) Decree of 1977. That decree validated the takeover of mission and voluntary agency schools by state military governors through their respective edicts.

2. The Decree ousted the jurisdiction of courts to entertain suits on schools takeover and voided all cases in courts on the issue. It made payment of compensation to owners of schools taken over by government discretionary.

3. Schools takeover by the military governments was a misadventure. That was the beginning of the rot in the primary and secondary school system. According to a retired school principal: “You know that all the big schools we had in the country at that time produced the best and most of the big names in our society. They were all mission schools".

KWARA STATE GOVERNMENT ABOUT GRANTING AIDS

In 2020 the state announced schools to be renovated.

Take a look at the list.

1. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of existing and additional facilities, Ilorin Grammar School, Ilorin west LGA.


2. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Govt High School, Ilorin East LGA.

3. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Patigi Sec school, Patigi LGA

4. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Government Secondary school, Lafiagi, Edu LGA.

5. Comprehensive renovation / construction of Offa Grammar school, Offa LGA.

6. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Oro Grammar school, Oro, Irepodun LGA.

7. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Government Secondary school, Share, Ifelodun LGA.

8. Comprehensive renovation/ construction of Government (Unity) Secondary school, Kaiama, Kaiama LGA.

9. Block of classrooms (SS1), Government Secondary School, Alapa, Asa LGA.

10. Block of 3 classroom, Ansar Islam Secondary School, Laduba, Asa LGA.


11. Block of 4 classrooms with 4 offices (SS1A, B& C), College of Arabic and Islamic Studies (CAIS), Ilorin West LGA.

12. Block of classrooms SS1A and B and Block B, Community Secondary School, Baboko, Ilorin West LGA.

13. Block of 4 classrooms with principal's office, Government Secondary School, Okelele, Ilorin East LGA.

14. SS1 and SS3 classrooms, with an office, Government Day Secondary School, Omode, Ilorin South LGA.

15. Block of 2 classroom SS1A and SS1B, Block of 2 classrooms SS1C and SS2C, Government Secondary school, Agbabiaka, Ilorin South LGA.

16. Block of classrooms (damaged and abandoned) block, Government Arabic College, Jebba, Moro LGA.


17. Abandoned block of 4 classrooms with toilet attached (SS2), Government Secondary school, Malete, Moro LGA.

18. Block of 4 classrooms, (Sport, Bursary and Staff room block), Ansar Islam Secondary school, Ikotun, Oyun LGA.

19. Block of 4 classrooms (Classrooms, principal's and Vice Principal's Office), Ojoku Grammar School, Ojoku, Oyun LGA.

20. Block of 4 classrooms, Ajara Isin High School, Isin LGA.

21. Block of 4 classrooms with toilet at both ends, Victory College of Commerce, Edidi, Isin LGA.

22. SS1, SS2 and SS3 A & B classrooms, Oyelagbawo Grammar School, Irepodun LGA.

23. Block of 3 classrooms with an office and store, Government Secondary school, Omu-Aran, Irepodun LGA.

24. Block of 2 classrooms with 4 stores (SS Section), Osi central school, Osi, Ekiti LGA.

25. Block of 3 classrooms with 2 offices, Senior Sec school, Isolo Opin, Ekiti LGA.

26. Dilapidated 2 classrooms & abandoned 2 classrooms as extra hall, Government Secondary school, Tsaragi, Edu LGA.

27. Block of 3 classrooms with an office and store (Examination Hall), Jamat Nasr Islam Community Grammar School, Odo-Owa, Oke-Ero LGA.

28. Block of 6 classrooms with offices (Partly collapsed/ damaged), Government Day Secondary school, Okuta, Baruten LGA.

29. Block of 4 classrooms (SS2, JSS2, Staff room), Government Secondary school, Ilesha-Baruba, Baruten LGA.


For people who are quite familiar with Kwara State would see the list as very lopsided aids granting. No mention of Christian mission schools that they want to be wearing hijab. These missions still labour to maintain the facilities somehow.


THE TRUTH ABOUT AID GRANTING TO SCHOOLS FOUNDED BY MISSIONARIES IN KWARA

1. The taking over of the schools seems like an agenda by non Christians to have what they could not build.

a. Most guys at the helms of affairs in Kwara State from Islamic religion attended mission schools.

b. While at mission schools even after the takeover the issue of hijab did not arise. So why now?

2. Government is no granting aids but just paying salaries. The missions were paying their staff and taking care of their schools- well tended lawn, beautiful trees, orchards, well equipped libraries before government took over- the two primary schools I attended had libraries, well equipped home economics labs, etc which I met but the last Christmas, I wept seeing most of the classes in ruins.

3. The clamour for hijab is beyond allowing a piece of veil to cover for an identity

a. It is a gradual process to wipe out Christian identity from the mission schools

b. There have been running battle to build mosque at St.Anthony, Mt Camel, C&S, Bishop Smith, ECWA Oja-iya, Baptist Surulere, St Barnabas etc. Some of the schools are located inside church premises. It is known fact that Islam loves public expressions, a desire to be noticed at all cost at the expense of the peace of others

c. This could be an attempt to wrestle the privileges of the mission to appoint qualified members of their missions as principals. It could be a case of Alh. Isiaka Okelele- the Principal of St. Barnabas Anglican School, Sabo Oke, Ilorin.

CONCLUSION
I will rather suggest Kwara State CAN should study the agreement between government and the mission in 1974 to take action. Also, when schools were taken over, it was by decree which forbade any court action by the mission. Can it be challenged under democracy? After all the decay, the rot in the facilities in the various mission schools that government supposed to be responsible for no be here.

I don't know why government does not appoint the local board for these schools but the mission. Why do we like to copy and paste knowing for a fact that we live in different clime in Nigeria full of different culture, ethnicity and religion.

Gandollaar

All mission schools should be returned to the owners who are willing to have them back..
I never could imagine Christians in kwara state even had any voice until I read your piece.

They should pursue peace in kwara State which is a Yoruba state even though goegraphiically not.. The bigotry in core Muslim regions should not be allowed to take root.
Muslim parents who enrol their daughters in Christian schools should be ready to ditch the hijab.

Gandollaar:
All mission schools should be returned to the owners who are willing to have them back..
I never could imagine Christians in kwara state even had any voice until I read your piece.

They should pursue peace in kwara State which is a Yoruba state even though goegraphiically not.. The bigotry in core Muslim regions should not be allowed to take root.
Muslim parents who enrol their daughters in Christian schools should be ready to ditch the hijab.

You've written well.


However, let them wear the hijab in Christian schools if they want to.


That's Equity and Fairness.