From Our Correspondent
Abeokuta, Nov. 12, ’25 (TNZ) The Ogun State Muslim Council (OMC) has raised concern over the declining fortune of Arabic and Islamic Studies in public schools in the state.
TheNewsZenith reports that the council, therefore, warned that the subjects risk extinction, if the government fsil to take urgent action to address the redeployment of qualified teachers and fill existing vacancies.
The warning was contained in a communique issued by the Secretary-General of OMC, Asiwaju Kamal’deen Akintunde at the end of the Council’s general meeting recently in Abeokuta.
The raditional rulers, eminent scholars, and Muslim leaders from the state’s four divisions – Egba, Ijebu, Yewa, and Remo – attended the meeting.
The meeting also featured the formal appointment of the Olowu of Owu, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, as the new President-General of the Council.
Oba Matemilola succeeded the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
In his acceptance speech, the new president-general called for unity, brotherhood, and the end of ethnic divisions within the Muslim community.
He pledged to work with stakeholders to strengthen Islamic institutions and empower organisations to address challenges confronting the Ummah.
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Focusing on education, the Council expressed deep concern over the arbitrary transfer of qualified Arabic and Islamic Studies teachers to institutions where their expertise is underutilised.
It resolved to work closely with the Union of Arabic Teachers to hold a crucial meeting with relevant authorities to reverse the trend.
TheNewsZenith quotes OMC as urging the Ogun State Government to recruit more Arabic and Islamic Studies teachers to bridge existing gaps.
It also encouraged Muslim professionals to specialise in the disciplines and serve in public schools.
OMC warned that the current neglect, if unaddressed, could undermine Islamic literacy and weaken the moral foundation of young learners.
The meeting also received an update on the Ibara Housing Estate Central Mosque, which had earlier faced demolition threats.
The Council welcomed the government’s intervention to halt the demolition and directed the mosque’s management to regularise its title documents to secure permanent approval. (TNZ)
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