Amosun Dragged To Court For Taking Over Missionary Schools

The crisis rocking the taking over of schools in Ogun State took a new dimension today when the Christian community in the state dragged the state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun to court.

It is seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining Amosun from taking back the mission schools which had earlier been returned to them. 

The immediate past administration under Otunba Gbenga Daniel had in 2009 returned 23 out of the 468 secondary schools in the state to their original owners. 

However, the state House of Assembly, under the speakership of Rt.Hon. Tunji Egbetokun, had last month passed a motion for the reversal of the return of the schools. This, PMNEWS gathered did not go down well with the Christian community in the state under the aegis of Ogun State Joint Committee of Christian Missions.

 The Christian Mission insisted that the government should respect the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both parties. 

They had threatened legal action against the state government if the schools, which had hitherto been returned to them, should be taken back. 

The Christian mission prayed the court to restrain the defendants from applying the provisions of sections 3 and 4 of the Education (Post-primary institutions) (Special Provisions) Law, Cap 36, Laws of Ogun State.

Joined in the suit with No. AB/161/2011 are the state Executive Council, the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology as well as the state House of Assembly. 

In the originating summons, the claimants want the court to determine whether the House of Assembly Resolution No. 251 – Reversal of Illegal Return of Schools to Initial Owners – moved and passed on 1 June, 2011 was lawful. 

The court was also asked to determine whether it was within the legislative functions of the Assembly under Sections 100 and 128 of the 1999 Constitution or any other law to reverse the exercise of the power of the state executive council. 

They also prayed the court to declare the purported House Resolution 251 as unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect. 

No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.

By Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta