The religious leaders declared that the standard of education started falling from the moment government took over the schools from the original owners.
Speaking on behalf of other clerics, the Bishop of Egba Anglican Communion, Emmanuel Adekunle, stated this at a news conference to commemorate the 180th celebration of the coming of Christian missionaries to Abeokuta, who brought the gospel to the ancient city.
The bishop, however, advised the government to return the schools to the original owners to salvage the sector.
Adekunle also canvassed creation of a Ministry of Religious Affairs, explaining that education was introduced to the country by religious organisations, which he said have been rejected.
He said through the proposed ministry, religious doctrines of each religious group could be known, monitored, and run jointly by the ministry.
He said, “Having observed that since the government’s takeover of schools from its original owners, the standard of education has failed and quality of products from these schools has lowered.
“It is, therefore, important to recommend that to restore the standard of education nationwide, government should hand over mission schools to their original owners.
“Moreover, the government should create a Ministry of Religious Affairs, just as there is a Ministry of Education. Reason is that education was introduced to the country by religious organisations, but the same organisation that brought in education has been so ruthlessly neglected.
“Through a ministry of religious affairs, religious doctrines of each religious group will be known, monitored and run jointly by the ministry.
“In the early days of Christianity in Nigeria, it was not difficult for the church to acquire free land for their developmental projects. Today, things have changed, it is now hard to obtain free land.”
On the 180th years of Christianity in Nigeria, the cleric stated that the advent of Christianity in Abeokuta in 1843 had brought civilisation and development to Nigeria.
He stressed that it also had significant impacts on the culture, education, politics, agriculture, and health, currently being enjoyed across the nation.
