Ogun: MSSN opposes plan to return missionary schools

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Ogun State Area Unit, has strongly has called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to reconsider his plan to return public schools to missionary bodies, saying that the move is capable of triggering far-reaching educational and social consequences.

The group, in a press statement said it received the governor’s declaration, made while hosting Catholic leaders, including the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria with “profound alarm and unrestrained indignation.”

Governor Abiodun had announced that missionary schools in the state would be handed back to their original owners, a development MSSN insists undermines the principles of fairness, inclusivity, and constitutional responsibility.

Reacting, the MSSN said, “the return of public schools to missionary bodies is inimical to the educational welfare of Muslim students, injurious to inter-religious harmony, and fundamentally at variance with the constitutional obligations of a government elected to serve all citizens without religious distinction.”

The society called on the governor to reconsider the decision “in the interest of peace, unity, and sustainable educational development in Ogun State.”

MSSN dismissed the state government’s description of the move as a “partnership,” arguing that it amounts to the outright transfer of publicly funded institutions to religious organisations.

“A genuine partnership requires mutual contribution and shared accountability. What is being proposed is a unilateral surrender of public assets built with taxpayers’ money,” the statement said.

“It is not partnership, but privatisation of public education along religious lines.”

The group further questioned the legality of the proposed policy, noting that public schools were taken over by the government to ensure equal access to education for all citizens, regardless of religious background.

According to MSSN, “Governor Abiodun lacks the constitutional authority to transfer publicly funded institutions without legislative backing or a clearly defined transition framework.”

Citing Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, the group stressed that the responsibility for providing free and compulsory education rests squarely on the government.

The student body warned that returning schools to missionary control could expose non-Christian students to discrimination and compulsory religious practices.

It also expressed concern that school fees could rise beyond the reach of low-income families, thereby restricting access to education.

MSSN raised alarm over the potential impact on teachers, many of whom are civil servants with long-standing entitlements.

“Transferring these schools does not transfer government obligations to teachers. Instead, it threatens job security, career progression, and pension rights,” the group stated.

It added that the transition could disrupt academic activities, including examinations and record-keeping, particularly for students in critical classes.

The society further warned that the move could erode the long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence in the State.

“Ogun’s public schools have historically been neutral grounds fostering unity across religious lines. This policy risks institutionalising division and breeding generational resentment,” MSSN cautioned.

“We demand the immediate withdrawal of this declaration, not as a concession, but as a necessity to preserve the integrity of public education and the unity of Ogun State,” the statement read.

The MSSN reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing the matter until a “satisfactory resolution” is reached, insisting that public schools “belong to all citizens, irrespective of faith.”