The Bishop of Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev Olusola Odedeji has called on the Federal Government (FG) to declare a state of emergency on the education sector, saying the sector has been corrupted.
Odedeji made the call at the 2nd Session of the 8th Synod of the diocese Friday while delivering his annual Charge on the state of the Nation.
Odedeji said there was hardly a year that lecturers didn’t embark on industrial action asking the government to implement any agreement reached with them, adding that the trend has led to a massive brain drain in the country.
Apart from the exodus, the Anglican Bishop noted that many Nigerian graduates are not employed many years after their graduation.
He said, “it is grossly an understatement to say a state of emergency is overdue to be declared in our educational sector if our youths are to be relevant in the nearest future in anything that has to do with decision making in the nation.”
Bishop Odedeji observed that the moral base of many schools has crumbled.
His words, “Immorality has become a norm. But what could teachers whose welfare is not guaranteed do? Lecturers in many higher institutions now charge students heavily for handouts that must be considered compulsory if they must pass their examinations. Many of them had been fingered to have forced female students into immoral acts commonly referred as sex-for mark in the academic circle”
The Anglican Bishop also called for the abolition of the Islamic policy of almajiri which has prevented many young people in the north from pursuing western education.
Odedeji also decried the insecurity in the land calling on the government to take practical steps to revamp the security architecture of the country.
He suggested that only educated people should be recruited into security agencies in the country, noting that “it’s time the government began to consider the idea of a state police”.
“If our laws are amended to achieve this (state police) insecurity would be reduced significantly because those to be recruited in the force shall be from the same state with total knowledge of the terrain where they are to work. Criminals can also be traced to their family compounds and be shamed in the presence of their family members.”
At the Synod, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, and bishops from the North from the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion praised the effort of the Diocese in spreading the good news of the kingdom and their impact on the lives of people.
Sanwoolu who was represented at the event by his Snr. Special Assistant on religious affairs Rev. Adeleke said the diocese has been of great spiritual help to the state.
“We want to thank you for your prayers, love. We feel the impact of your prayers,” he said
On the synod theme, “Dry bones shall rise again”, he said, “the significance of the theme is to encourage us to put our trust in God and be assured that he is ever ready to encourage us to put our trust in God. He is ready to renew our lives and turn our stagnant position around”
While enjoining all to draw from this theme, he prayed that Lagosians would continue to experience a positive turnaround and the nation shall experience enduring greatness.
Also talking earlier at the event, The Rt Rev’d Yusuf Janfala of the Diocese of Koi in the North thanked the diocese for always supporting northern Anglican churches.
He said the diocese has been of tremendous help to all the churches in the north. “We are indeed grateful to the diocese of Lagos West, especially in the face of persecution we face in the North. The diocese has been very supportive of us in the North. We can only pray that the Lord will continue to bless and keep the diocese in Jesus’ name.”
About 14 bishops from across the Communion were in attendance on the second day of the Synod.
The Bishop of Diocese of Lagos West, Rt. Rev Olusola Odedeji noted that about 24 bishops were around on the first day of the Synod. He expressed great thanks to all those who honoured the event.