A letter has been sent to the Ondo State Governor, Akeredolu over plan to eliminate all Muslims from the state stating security reasons.
Below is the full letter
MURIC received an S.O.S. from the Muslim community of Oke-Agbe Akoko yesterday. The whole town was taken over by heavily armed policemen. Properties belonging to the Ansar-Ud-Deen (AUD) Primary School were forcefully packed out of the school. We strongly condemn this action. It is arbitrary, intolerant and provocative.
“A letter dated 16th December, 2019 was received by the school a few days ago. The letter with reference SUBEB/PRS/766 was addressed to the headmaster of the school. The letter under the heading ‘Re: Request For Transfer of Oke-Agbe Mega Primary School to Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko’ reads inter alia:
“Following the directives given by Mr. Governor that the school, A.U.D. Mega Primary School, Oke-Agbe, should be handed over to Adekunle Ajasin University, the Education Secretary is hereby directed to: The pupils of AUD Mega Primary School, Oke-Agbe will be relocated to St. Georges Primary School, Oke-Agbe, pending the time a permanent place is given to the school by the community. The board will thereafter construct new classroom building for the school. The Acting Education Secretary should liaise with the three communities (Oyin, Oke-Agbe and Afin) to get a suitable land to site the school (AUD Mega Primary School, Oke-Agbe).
“This letter depicts Islamophobia and tyranny. It is a manifestation of totalitarian dictatorship. There are five primary schools within the town: St Georges, Catholic, Local Authority (L. A.), Christ Apostolic Church (C. A. C) Orimolade and Ansarud-Deen (A.U.D). Why didn’t the state government pick any of those four?
“Why must it be the only Islamic school in the vicinity that Akeredolu will take over? Afterall that land belongs to the Ansar-Ud-Deen. It is unfair to just seize it like that.
“It is a grand plan to uproot AUD Primary School, Oke-Agbo Akoko. This is a school founded since 1975. It is also an attempt to intimidate the Ondo State branch of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society and an undisguised attempt to embarrass the organization at the national level. This is unacceptable. Akeredolu’s action runs counter to civilized norms and the principles of dialogue and religious tolerance.
“By the way, was the Ansar-Ud-Deen consulted? Akeredolu cannot pretend that he does not know about the Ansar-Ud-Deen and its educational activities in Yorubaland in particular and Nigeria as a whole. It is administrative ineptitude to have failed to consult the original owners of the school. It is true that the past administration of Olusegun Mimiko had rebuilt the school but that was done in the spirit of public service. At least eighteen other schools were also rebuilt at the same time and they all retained their original names. So what is the big deal? Islam is simply being victimized by the Akeredolu administration.
“Where is Donald Trump? Where are the leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)? These are people who always make false claims that it is Christians who are being persecuted in Nigeria. Here is another palpable and indubitable evidence of the persecution of Muslims by a Christian governor.
“It is noteworthy that the state government has no land ready for the Ansar-Ud-Deen school it is evicting. The government is leaving that issue to three distant and unfriendly communities to decide the fate of an Islamic school.
“These are the same communities who have been threatening Muslims in their domain? Akeredolu is deceiving us.
“This move is part of a grand plan to eliminate Islam and Islamic education from Ondo State. Otherwise why move pupils of a Muslim school to a Christian school? Can Akeredolu claim ignorance of the ideological differences? Can he assure us that those Muslim pupils will continue to enjoy their religious freedom? Will St. George allow those Muslim children to observe Salat within its premises? Will the headmaster of St. George school allow the female Muslim children to use hijab? How will the morning assembly be conducted: in Christian fashion or in Islamic pattern? Hasn’t the governor himself ignited bitter religious rivalry between Christian and Muslim children and even the teachers? Is this not another attempt to subject Muslim children to Christian domination and way of life?
“Already, there has been a potent threat against Islam and Muslims in Oke-Agbe Akoko for some time now. In fact, it was the intervention of the security agencies that foiled the planned attack on Muslims at the Id praying ground after the 2017 Ramadan.