By Bishop Funmi Adesanya
I look back at the last couple of weeks and I thank God for the Kwara State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). I am also glad I am part of Kwara State at a time like this. To God be all the glory.
From the discussions generated by the issue of excluding CRK from the educational system of Nigeria, it has come to notice that many States in the North had been operating the divisive system, and that at least, Delta and Abia in the South are familiar with such. But CAN, Kwara State was the first State CAN to take it in strides to cry out against it.
Thus, Kwara CAN is the voice that has roused the Church in Nigeria from its deep sleep into the reality of its orchestrated and planned extinction. Thank God the discussions have not only showed that what, at first, seemed a local affair, is in fact national, which status has brought it under the scrutiny of the National Assembly – both the lower and upper houses, which had made positive pronouncement on the issue.
Also, in the course of the discussions, it has come to knowledge that the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) has made Arabic language an elective in the BMAS, and part of the compulsory General Studies (GS). Since no one graduates without passing GS, if this is allowed to stand, only Muslim students would be graduating in the Universities.
Therefore, the National CAN, States CAN, National Christian Elders Forum, the Nigerian Christian Graduate Fellowship, Northern Christian Elders Fellowship, Nigeria Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs, etc., and all those who love Nigeria should take special interest in the goings-on in every area of our life in Nigeria, especially, in the education and training sector. Spurious things are going on all over the place without the public being aware of them.
Let me conclude this appreciation of Kwara State CAN with an example of what those who love Nigeria should look into. It is common knowledge to those who care to know that in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ilorin, the highest percentage of admission prospects qualified-Christian- candidates can have, cannot exceed 25% because:
(1)they do not have Islamic Religious Knowledge which qualifies for Islamic Law
(2) they hardly ever fall into the category of those who earn admission by concession/exception – VIPs and educationally disadvantaged areas criteria, and;
(3) they have to still compete with Muslim students for the remaining places given to Common Law. I would be surprised if this is not the pattern in the federally owned Tertiary institutions in all the Northern states. MANY DIVISIVE SCHEMES HAD BEEN PUT IN PLACE, AND ENTRENCHED WHILE MEN SLEPT.
I just hope that those who genuinely love Nigeria would stay awake, with their eyes wide open. One thing you can say about the Federal Government and be correct of 100% of the time is that, it establishes institutions, keeps maintaining them, WITHOUT bothering to monitor how they are run. This is why the bodies referred to above should keep their eyes wide open and bring sanity, thank you.
The old Christian song says:
“Christian, seek not yet repose,
Hear thy gracious Savior say;
Thou art in the midst of foes:
Watch and pray.”
Once again, Well done Kwara CAN.
