*AOCOED: A look-see to the Appeal to build the College Church*
Recently, I came across an article charging the school management of AOCOED under the leadership of Dr (Mrs) Aina Ladele Omolola to venture into building the school church with the public money belonging to the Muslims and Christians under the pretext of the ongoing accreditation. In another word, the sweat of both Muslim and Christian should be used to benefit the Christians alone all because our provost is a Christian.
I must say that the writer who has written the led administration of Dr (Mrs) Aina Ladele Omolola on the poor state of the school church has done good but failed to be objective in his criticism and perceive not that the article can be counter productive - it can lead to religious jingoism, favoritism and intolerance. Perhaps, he has forgotten that: “What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”
Also, the writer almost presented our indefatigable provost as someone who gives preference to one religion over other when in actual sense she serves both parties. The writer almost bamboozled us that one of the 'accredited representative' may demand to see the College Church.
And I ask, for what? And if it occurs, then it is the highest segregation we are going to record during the process unless the college mosque too is checked. And by the way, why should the provost be responsible for religion and or its coordination she has little or no knowledge at all?
From the foregoing, I had a thought that the writer wants to call the attention of the management to the uncompleted building in the school very close to underbridge otherwise known as 'Senate Building' or better still wants to hold the management accountable for renovating the school only when accreditation came around. Or the writer will present a viable project rather than the one that may stampede the Muslim or trample us.
Why won't I think in that direction? Many a student wants to know if accreditation is the motive behind the new development in the college which may implies that the college can't do the needful without supervision or is it just a coincidence of plan. The writer fails objectively and clamour for nothing. Sometimes, silence they say is golden especially on issues that can cause religious tension in a peaceful community like ours.
May I admonish the writer. Don't be an opportunist. An opportunist person is one who makes use of advantages he never worked for and eat others sweat. Won't it be repugnant if the provost uses the school money to build the college church while leaving the college mosque? What name can we call it if both Muslim students and Christian students need the same thing and they Christian is being attended to if not religious segregation?
Maybe perhaps the write has forgotten that the provost is elected by Council which comprises of Muslim and Christian and as a result she must protect everybody's right without prejudice or discrimination whatsoever.
I urge the chapel members to walk around the college and see numerous projects that needs to be commissioned before the transformation of our school. They need to understand that the Muslim community also needs money for their mosque project. It won't do the school any good if we start misplacing priorities.
As a matter of fact, religious centre is usually built in any institutions by philanthropists, religious community like Muslim community, NGOs, union body of that religion say MSSN through soliciting for fund, politicians, etc. It is not the constitutional duties of the school to do that, they can only give land. And if you insist, let the provost also build the college mosque with our money to mark accreditation. After all, she is our mother too!
Lastly, the assistance of the provost can be sought as regards the State of the church through letter of assistant or project proposal. She can link the Christains community members to philanthropists that can aid the cause.
My submission is simple; let us learn to treat issues from the right perspective.
Starz cares
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