Rumours Against Osun School Reclassification Unnecessary – PFN

State of Osun chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has dissociated itself from assertion of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that the school reclassification in the state could trigger terrorism.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) described the assertion as mere rumours that are capable of disrupting developmental stride of the government.
The leadership of the state chapter of CAN recently had a story credited to it in a newspaper that the school reclassification policy of the government is capable of triggering terrorism in the state.
But at a meeting with the government representatives in Ibokun on Sunday, the PFN state chairman, represented by his vice in Ijesa zone, Pastor Joel Balogun said that the school reclassification is seen as part of the efforts of the government to effectively monitor the education within its limited resources.
“We see the assertion that the school reclassification can trigger terrorism as mere rumour and we in PFN can never be carried away with such rumours. We understand that the exercise is aimed at cutting cost and ensuring proper monitoring of our schools, with a view to getting the best for our children. Though, we are not politicians, we are men of God, but we have seen that this government is doing well in terms of development and we are praying for the success of the government. Instead of spreading rumours, we, as men of God owe it a duty to evangelise to people and bring them to our fold and that is what we should be doing”, he insisted.
Appealing to the government to ensure that the schools that being merged retain their names, as promised, he said that this would settle the issues generated by the reclassification exercise.
The Chairman, Obokun II chapter of the fellowship, Evangelist Remi Adediran also urged religion leaders not to mislead the people on what he described as lies and rumours.
He also said that rather than misinterpreting the government programmes and policies on education and other programmes, the government should rather be commended.
In their separate submission, the leader of the State Assembly of Osun, Timothy Owoeye; the lawmaker representing Obokun state constituency, Samson Fafiyebi; the Commissioner for Environment, Professor Bukola Oyawoye and Special Adviser on Agriculture, Festus Agunbiade said that the school reclassification is aimed at giving the best to the students.
The government officials who are all christians said that the rumour being carried about against Governor Rauf Aregbesola by CAN are baseless and capable of causing disharmony among all the religion faithfuls.
The Assistant Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, who was the host, wondered why anybody would alleged Aregbesola of wanting to sponsor terrorism.
According to him, the interest of Aregbesola is to get the best for the state and its people, saying, “he has never interfere in my own religious as a christian, rather, I influenced him to meet my father in the Lord in person of Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi.
“So, it does not infringe on anybody’s religion and he is not ready to do so, because he beliefs that religion is a personal conviction.
“As a born again christian, I have been working with him for over seven years now as a close aide and if he is somebody that discriminates, I would not still be with him till now because I represent Christ in this government like others do”, Oyintiloye stressed.
WORLDSTAGE