Scholar harps on quality education as antidote to social discontents . Alaafin extols virtue of Islamic School's Proprietor



An Islamic Scholar,  Imam Daud Tiijani Oladele Igi Ogun has stressed the need for religious education in Nigeria to recognize the rich and diverse religious heritage of the country and should adopt a co-operative model that accepts the rich heritage and the possibility of creative interaction between schools and faith, protecting the youth from religious discrimination or coercion. 

Imam Igi Ogun stated this yesterday (Saturday) at the 11th WALIMATUL QUR'AN/ 23rd Anniversary and Fund Raising of Imam Daud Igi Ogun Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Oyo town.

He noted that learning about religion in these schools should be different from the religious instruction and religious nurture provided by the home, family, and religious community. Religious institutions should explore ways of avoiding or curbing religious fanaticism or extremism. 

According to him, they should aim at creating an integrated and informed community that affirms unity in diversity.

".Religious education can be extended to the teeming population or adherents of different religions through the adoption of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) option of literacy and empowerment, which may be more flexible and less expensive; the present traditional face to face method of education delivery is very expensive, highly restrictive and discriminatory.

Imam Igi Ogun , who is also the School's Proprietor posited that for religious education to thrive as an agent of national development and integration in our contemporary Nigeria, justice is done in the return of mission schools to their original owners, the law on take-over of such schools should be repealed or amended in line with the new policy of federal government, in order to forestall a future subversion of current MoUs with the government on the return of mission schools by an ambitious regime.

"In order to protect the equal rights of all learners gaining access to education, and to forestall the problem of low enrolments, religious bodies and individuals should appreciate the fact that government alone cannot fund and coordinate education. They should follow the footsteps of early mission schools and not turn education into a commercial venture.

" Also, the government should not hands-off funding of education, as the action of some state governments suggests today. They should continue to partner with religious bodies and individuals."

The Proprietor  hinted that the sublime desire could not have come into fruition without the support of a notable man,whose benevolence and generosity have greatly influenced the success of the school 
" In this regard and without mincing wirds, the Honourable Minister of Interior has been there for us in paying teachers, as well as probision of basic amenities needed for learning .
" To the glory of God, at inception , our desire had been to run the Arabic School without charging the students any fee, and till date, no Arabic student has ever paid a dime for training received in our Institution".
He comnende the graduands for their untiring commitment and self discipline exhibited during their studentship, adding that the resilts of such resilient spirit and doggedness are what they are witnessing today.
The school's curriculum, Imam Igi Ogun pointed out, touches lectures, spiritual diet, social and community work, Quranic memorization, as well as national consciousness and patriotism.
The renowned scholar who appreciated dignatories, including Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Honourable Minister of the Interior,  from all walks of life who had  been and are still contributing to societal growth and religious development, also lauded His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo,  Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, for his presence, which he described as a 'a special honour" to him by all standards.

In his remarks, Oba Adeyemi who extol the virtue of Imam Days Igi Ogun described him as "a dignified personality who established himself as a respectable Scholar through loyalty , candour and determination".

He said candour is an important virtue in life, as the quality of candour is often hard to find in people nowadays.

The Paramount Ruler asserted that "Imam Daud Igi Ogun is able to gain a favourable repuration because he embodies virtues of candour and integrity".

Imam Daud Igi Ogun  though is blunt, but in a burst of unusual and caustic candour, he will  explain the rationale  behind it and make his points politely  clear but with utter candour.

"He is utterly fearless in an age of grim persecutions, more noted for candor than tact".

Oba Adeyemi who also spoke on the imperstives of religiys education for moral rejuvenation disclosed that his late father, Alaafin Adeniran, while on the throne brought Islam to the ancient town of Oyo, he (incumbent Alaafin) was the first monarch to be appointed as Hamirrul Hajj by the then Military President,  retired General Ibrahim Babangida, to lead millions of Nigerian Muslims to the Holy land of Mecca and Medina.



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