SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, (THEWILL) – On a day the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, is rejecting the subsuming of Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK, into an omnibus subject, the National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, has sounded an alarm over what it termed the “brazen” attempt by some Islamists and Jihadists to Islamise Nigeria.
The forum noted that such attempts is being carried out through the introduction of Religion and National Values, RNV, subject “which denigrates Christianity and promotes Islam” in secondary schools curriculum.
The PFN, in an advertorial in the newspapers on Thursday, expressed suspicion over the decision of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, NERDC, to limit foreign languages that are compulsory for students in Nigerian schools to only Arabic and French languages.
Noting the controversy that the decision to fuse CRK into RNV had generated, the fellowship stated that despite attempts by the NERDC to rationalise its decision, it had failed to give any “tangible justification or convincing explanation” for the new policy.
It maintained that the CRK and the Islamic Religious Knowledge, IRK, which were both subsumed into RNV should be reverted to their original status as stand-alone subjects.
The PFN, in the advertorial signed by its National President, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude; National Secretary, Apostle Emmanuel Kure; and a representative of the National Advisory Council, Bishop David Oyedepo, called on the NERDC to return to the status quo.
The statement called “for an immediate reversal of the decision and a return to the status quo. Christian Religious Studies has to stand on its own as a separate subject, just as it has always been. National Values can stand alone as a subject, just like Civics, so it can be given the attention that it deserves without bringing religion into it.
“Collapsing CRK as only a part of Religion and National Values not only deprives Christian students the opportunity of study as they have always had, but it also forecloses the opportunity of the subject being studied at the tertiary level by those students who might desire to do so,” it added.
Rather than limit compulsory foreign languages in Nigerian schools to only Arabic and French, the PFN called on the NERDC to widen the options by including other languages such as Spanish, German, Chinese and so on, “so that our children can enjoy greater flexibility in foreign language study and not be compelled to study a language they have no interest in.”
It asserted that this was the only way to prevent a chaotic situation in the country, as was already being reflected in media reports.
“We are aware of orchestrated plans to subtly use this policy as a means of forceful religious indoctrination. Indeed, we have received reports from some states where, as a policy, teachers for French and Christian Religious Studies are deliberately not being recruited and these subjects are excluded from the curriculum, thus, leaving students with no other choice in the matter of foreign language and religious study,” the fellowship said.
Meanwhile, the NCEF, in a communique signed by its chairman, Solomon Asemota,
after its meeting in Abuja on Thursday, warned that
Nigeria is drifting towards a needless conflict that can culminate in crises if not properly handled.
Among those at the meeting was a retired military general, Theophilus Danjuma, as well as former governor of Anambra state, Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
While reviewing unfolding events in Nigeria, the elders said, “The real problem with the country is that Jihad has been launched in Nigeria and Islamists that have been interfering in the governance of the country using “Taqiyya” (approved deception) as “Stealth/Civilisation Jihad” and Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen as violent Jihad, are relentless in their pursuit of eradicating democracy in Nigeria.
“The objective of the Islamists (political Islam) is to supplant the constitution of Nigeria with Sharia ideology as the source of legislation in the nation. The conflict between democracy as national ideology and Sharia as a usurping ideology is responsible for the crisis unfolding in Nigeria. The nation is in the throes of Jihad.
“If grazing reserve is a must for the Fulani herdsmen, instead of ranching which is the international best practice, NCEF recommends that Sambisa Forest should be given to the Fulani herdsmen.”
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