—By Valentine Anaweokhai
In an unprecedented press release No.139/EDSGH/2025, by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, on Monday, 16 June 2025, came the long-awaited news – GOV OKPEBHOLO APPROVES RETURN OF SCHOOLS TO MISSIONARIES IN EDO.
This was long overdue, to say the least. The same schools that were forcefully taken over by a military fiat over half a century ago are about to be returned to their real owners. And who would not be happy about this? Who would not praise this great and courageous feat by the Edo State government? Who would not appreciate the governor’s effort to repair the grave injustice perpetrated by the military decree of 1972?
In the words of Fred Itua, “this approval marks a significant step towards addressing long-standing grievances and potentially enhancing educational standards through faith-based initiatives in Edo State”.
He also stated that the decision was based on a meeting between the State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Catholic bishop of Auchi Diocese, Most Rev. Gabriel G. Dunia.
He likewise mentioned that plans were underway to ensure a smooth handover of some specific schools that have churned out reputable and distinguished personalities who are contributing in no small measure to the growth and common good of the society today.
The schools are Our Lady of Fatima College, Auchi; St. Angela’s Grammar School, Uzairue; St. John Grammar School, Fugar; St. Peter’s Grammar School, Agenebode; St. James’s Grammar School, Afuze; St. Joseph College, Otuo; St. Mary Grammar School, Eme-Ora; and St. Aloysius Gonzaga Grammar School, Ososo.
As would have been rightly expected, this good news has not been positively welcomed in some quarters. There have been a couple of swift reactions and public statements vehemently opposed to this new development. A few days after the public announcement, national dailies carried various headlines.
On 18 June 2025, Francis Onoiribholo of Independent Newspaper published an article captioned “Muslim Group Appeals to Okpebholo to Rescind Decision on School Return to Missionary”.
The Daily Post in an article published by Enahoro Iyemefokhai on 25 June 2025 had the caption: “NUT, Muslim group, others knock Okpebholo over handing 36 schools to Catholic mission”.
The Guardian Newspaper, in an article on 23 June 2025, by Michael Egbejule, had the caption “Islamic council urges Okpebholo to reconsider returning schools to missionaries”.
Prominent among the groups that have expressed their displeasure against this praiseworthy move by the State government are the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, (ANCOPSS), Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria, (AOPSHON), and the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria, (MMPN), Edo State chapters.
Their concerns and fears were based on the following arguments:
1. The common man’s child may not be able to afford those schools anymore.
2. The move may undermine the secular nature of the state.
3. This development may promote exclusivity in education rather than inclusivity and open access to education.
4. That Catholic Schools charge exorbitant school fees, thereby limiting access to education for all.
5. That any attempt to hand over schools may create religious tension and conflicts among different religious groups.
6. The salary scheme of teachers in Catholic schools is poor, and so do they also lack qualified teachers and other personnel.
7. The fear of personnel layoff or possible transfer to other schools.
8. Setting a precedent for other faith-based organizations to make similar demands.
At this point, it is necessary to say that before The Public Education Edict (PEE) of 1971 and the policy statement (Decree) of the Federal military government of 1972, most schools, including the schools in question now, were established, administered, funded and maintained by the Catholic church.
There were events and developments, especially with the birth of Nigeria’s Independence from British rule, the palpable fear of letting the major control of education in the hands of the Christian organizations, and the Nigerian post-civil war realities in 1970, that culminated in the military government, through a Decree, to forcefully seize all the schools from Faith-based organizations. But what was their basis for taking over schools? As Ezegwu & Okoye (2004) described it, the policy was “directed towards national unity and addressing observed imbalances in access to education”. How true this has been achieved today is a topic for another article.
The move by the military government to take over mission schools forcefully was, unfortunately, received with great excitement by some in the education sector, including prominent government officials, who, coincidentally, were prestigious products of these same mission schools. And all efforts over the years to reclaim what rightfully belongs to the church and be compensated have been strongly resisted both from within and outside the Christian circles.
Meanwhile, the government’s move was vehemently reprehended and condemned by the Catholic, Anglican and Methodist prelates at the time as well as some traditional leaders, specifically the then Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede. The Alake, as Ahanonu (1983) rightly stated,
“Urged the military government to return the administration of secondary schools to missionaries and private individuals. He agreed with the clergy that the trend of lawlessness was attributable to the lack of moral teaching and fear of God in the minds of pupils”.
The PEE of 1971 and the military Decree of 1972 both paved the way for the eventual forceful takeover of schools in Nigeria. The PEE provided for the transfer to the state of all rights to school property and management of such schools, while the Decree forcefully removed the control of schools by their original owners, and it came under the exclusive control of the government. The Decree partly reads:
“The Supreme Military Council has decided that the Federal Government should henceforth assume full responsibility for higher education throughout the country, with the proviso that the status quo in respect of the existing universities should be maintained. It also decided that education, other than higher education, should become the concurrent responsibility of both the Federal and State governments and be transferred to the concurrent Legislative list”.
Based on the foregoing, if in response and respect for the age long aspirations and prayers of the founding fathers and mothers, the authentic and original owners of these mission schools, that were arbitrarily and forcefully taken over in the first place without due process and consultations, the Edo State government under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, has decided to do the needful, then, why the hullabaloo and furore over the announcement of the return of mission schools?
The Edo State government has simply taken a very bold step to repair and heal the more than half a century emotional wound and trauma inflicted on the collective psyche of the church.
He has decided to restore the sense of ownership and proprietorship that was stolen away and denied the church over 50 years ago.
He has chosen to undo the injustice perpetrated by his ancestors-in-government against a trustworthy institution in the project of building and sustaining a social, cultural, moral, and spiritual order that engenders mutual peace, justice, respect and co-existence, a worthy partner that has always promoted a culture of inclusivity, respect for human dignity, religious tolerance, human freedom, integral human development and social justice?
He has chosen the path of REPARATIVE JUSTICE. For this, he must be commended, appreciated, and supported by all. Therefore, the concerns by the respective groups who are against this new development is germane but untenable. Their fears are understood but unnecessary.
In an article on 21 June 2025 by Toyin Adedokun in an online newspaper published by Aljazeera titled: “The Netherlands returns 119 stolen sculptures to Nigeria”, it was reported that the Netherlands has officially returned 119 ancient sculptures initially stolen from Benin kingdom during the British colonial era.
They were stolen in 1897 under the watchful command of Sir Henry Rawson, who ransacked and invaded the peaceful and organized Benin kingdom that was second to none at the time, looted the sacred bronzes and forced the reigning king, Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi into exile in Calabar. When the pressure started to mount for the stolen items to be returned to their rightful owners, there were initial resistance and the usual arguments that if returned, the objects would not be well maintained and preserved, that they could be loaned back to the original owners and retrieved again, and that the artefacts have stayed long in Europe and so should be kept in their museums.
All these excuses became unnecessary and untenable since justice demanded that the items should simply be returned to their original and legitimate owners. There was no justifiable basis to make excuses for them.
However, the return of the sacred Benin Bronzes has been met with inestimable joy in Nigeria and beyond. And as the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, who was happily on the ground to receive the bronzes, rightly said, the artefacts are the “embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken… All we ask of the world is to treat us with fairness, dignity and respect”
All that the church expects from one and all, irrespective of differences, diversities and divergences, is to recognize that in 1972, the Nigerian military government unfairly and unjustly treated the church.
What rightfully belonged to the church was forcefully taken and seized without caring a hoot about the physical, legal, emotional, psychological, and spiritual implications and consequences of that action. Today, after almost 53 years, the government is now doing the right thing.
This should be the crux of the matter. This should be the main issue. Anything to the contrary is begging the issue and applying avoidance and distractive tactics.
Fr. Valentine Anaweokhai is a Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi.