Religious resentfulness behind recent worries in Baptist High School, Iwo. – Former Justice Commissioner
By Adebayo Rasheed Mabayoje
Committee set up to look into the worry in Baptist High School Iwo; Monday has said that no religious faith is against the school reclassification policy of 
government.
Chairman of the Committee, Barrister Gbadegesin Adedeji who submitted a report on findings of the committee explained that the recent developments, particularly in Baptist High School Iwo and other schools were caused by religious ego.
The former Commissioner for Justice explained that this is contrary to unpleasant hints that the reclassification exercise was the cause of unrests in schools.
Gbadegesin stressed that the committee was able to find out that it was the old rivalry between the two prominent religions that was responsible for the development.
He commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for being proactive in tackling the opportunistic differences that some people are trying to play on with the programme; adding that reclassification programme of government has brought about bigger schools where instructional facilities are concentrated for effective learning.
“The crisis in Baptist High school, Iwo was an issue that should not be treated with kid glove. I want to use this opportunity to applaud the state government for setting up this committee.
“If the case of Iwo Baptist High school had been allowed to fester, it could have spread over the state. During our assignment, people came out in their hundreds and we had frank exchange of what could be the problem”, said the Committee chair.
According to him, the team gathered that no single religion is against the policy, but religious ego was rather played up along the line.
Gbadegesin thanked government for the opportunity to serve Iwo community and the state at large.
Governor Aregbesola said that the school reclassification policy was designed to bring out the best from pupils and students, hence the decision of government to nip sectarian unrest at the Baptist High school, Iwo in the bud. He thanked God for not allowing the state to be engulfed in crises with what happened in the school, adding that the basis for animosity as noted by the committee was psychoanalytic of religious esteem.
He noted that with similarities in the two faiths, resentfulness being witnessed in Nigeria was unnecessary. “No matter what we profess, Yoruba will never fight on religion because it is strange to them. They have lived together on different beliefs.
“If love is critical and crucial to all faiths, where do we find the hatred and animosity that now characterise our relationships as men of faith? Salvation is an individual thing with God.
“It’s good to hear that the committee was able to discover that it was not the reclassification of schools in the state that fuelled attitude of some misguided students in the school in Iwo, but the rivalry between the two faiths was the cause of what happened in the school”, Aregbesola said