The  seven-day ultimatum notice was served to Osun State government by the state chapter of  CAN, to reverse the merger of schools and return them to their original owners.The state government had, last week, commenced the merger of public primary and secondary schools in the state under its schools re-classification programme.

In a letter addressed to the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and signed by its state chairman, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, CAN urged Aregbesola to revert the new education policy in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state.

CAN also called for a reverse on the changing of single sex schools to mixed schools, saying that would help to preserve the religious character of the schools.

The body said failure of the state government to reverse to the status quo on the state education system would make it take further actions on the matter.

The Christian body also advised Aregbesola to take the interest of all religions into consideration while making policies, saying that he was voted into office by people of all faiths.

“We observe that the foundation of Christian faith is being seriously threatened by some policies of the state government, especially in the education sector, which the church is strongly averse to and it is not ready to compromise,” the letter read in part.

Reacting to the ultimatum, Prof. Fagbulu said the organisation displayed so much ignorance in respect of education in Nigeria.

“It‎ is regrettable that a respected body like CAN can display so much ignorance in respect of education in Nigeria. To start with, the State of Osun Ikeja the rest of Nigeria cannot discriminate in the provision of educational facilities on the basis of gender or religion. Secondly CAN is operating from a false premise that some schools are Christian schools. All public schools belong to call the people irrespective of their religious beliefs. If we Christians want to have schools over which we will have full control the Constitution provides for that.

“Finally the history of the take-over of schools credited to Gowon is also false. The take-over of schools was a direct consequence of the Asabia Commission and I was the originator of the idea with my colleagues who served after me as advisers to that body. A main reason for that action was that the proprietors who received grants from governments and fleeced parents through high fees made education very expensive. In spite of not investing their own money in education they failed to pay teachers on time of at all; they tyrannized teachers ; they even went as far as not promoting teachers on merit especially if those teachers belong to other denominations.

“CAN should please do its research and acknowledge that Adefarasin emancipated teachers and Asabia, it’s sub-committee recommended the procedures for achieving that end. If CAN needs being educated on this issue, I will oblige. In the meantime it should stop spreading falsehood‎”, Fagbulu said.

The Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, in his reaction to the threat said; “You don’t reverse a policy that will bring  up decent, brilliant and successful students in the schools.

He therefore appealed to CAN and other interest groups in the state to be tolerant with the state government on the new education policy in the state, stressing that “if there is any government with human feelings, Aregbesola’s government has demonstrated in many ways that Osun State is a reference point in human development index.