Author: The Nation

The Grand Mufti and Alfa Agba of Ibadanland, Dr Abdul-Baari Adetunji, has called on the government to recruit more teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies in public primary and secondary schools across the country.

Adetunji made the call on Sunday while speaking at the 57th anniversary, graduation, turbaning, and award presentation ceremony organised by the Bari College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ibadan.

The event attracted notable Islamic scholars and dignitaries, including the Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, Akeem Olatunji; Chief Imam of Igannaland, Sheikh Hazmat Mobolaji Surakat; Chief Imam of Ikirunland, Sheikh Yunus Ibrahim Balogun; Professor Olalekan Sanni; Sheikh Muhydeen Onihantu; and Sheikh Abdulfattah Adepoju.

Others in attendance were the Turaki Adinni of Oyo State, Alhaji Abduljelil Adanla; Alhaji Abdulrahman Afolabi; Sheikh Zakariyah Tijani; and the Director of the college, Dr Izzudeen Adetunji.

Addressing journalists at the event, the proprietor of the college said there was an urgent need for the government to employ more qualified teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies, stressing that many trained personnel were available.

He recalled that the institution was established in 1968 at Popoyemoja before relocating to Kobomoje and later to its current location, adding that several prominent personalities had graduated from the college over the years.

According to him, the college has consistently produced graduates well-grounded in both Arabic and Islamic Studies, while efforts are ongoing to build more modern classrooms to enhance learning.

Adetunji noted that his years of experience teaching at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels exposed the acute shortage of Arabic and Islamic Studies teachers in public schools.

He commended the Oyo state government for recruiting some teachers in the subjects but insisted that more appointments were needed, describing Arabic Studies and Islamic Studies as distinct disciplines requiring adequate staffing.

Speaking at the event, Engineer Olatunji called for the reintroduction of Islamic Religious Studies and Christian Religious Studies in public primary and secondary schools nationwide.

He stressed that Islam should not be associated with banditry, terrorism, or criminality, noting that such acts were contrary to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Olatunji lamented that religious studies, which once played a major role in grooming God-fearing leaders, had become almost extinct in many schools, and urged the government to restore them from the primary to secondary school levels.

In his remarks, the Director of the college, Dr Izzudeen Adetunji, also appealed to governments at all levels to prioritise the recruitment of teachers for religious studies, describing it as critical to moral development and societal sanity.

He said, “Well, Islam has nothing to do with banditry, terrorism, and other criminal activities. Those who are engaging in criminal activities of that nature are not followers of the principles of Islam, as explained by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). They are not even Muslims; the majority of them do not even practice Islam. We should try as much as possible to encourage public schools to have training sessions to teach religious studies.

“So, like we used to have in the past, we used to have Islamic Religion Studies and Christian Religion Studies in our schools in the past, but most of the schools do not have them nowadays. They are almost extinct. They are no longer there now. Those are the areas we have raised God fearing leaders.

“So, we need to reintroduce Islamic Religion Studies and Christian Religion Studies from the primary school level to the secondary school level. Most schools don’t have IRK and CRK now. What we need is to reintroduce it in our primary and secondary schools.”