Unless there is an urgent intervention, or, the Enugu State Government complies with its letter of 12 years ago to return mission schools to the Anglican Communion in Enugu, the dioceses of the Church in the State have finalized arrangements to drag it to court. Already, a 3-month pre-action notice had been served the Government since 25th day of May, 2022 through the church’s Attorneys, Gab Agu & Co.
Drumnewsonline gathered from a source in government that the Anglican Communion had written the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice demanding that the government implements its decision to gazette the handover of mission schools to the Anglican Communion. In its letter referenced ENS/MOE/COM/245/1/234 dated 26th January, 2010 from the Commissioner for Education, the government had pledged to the Church that the Ministry of Justice was preparing the official Gazette, which was the enabling legal instrument to effect the handover of the schools. Sadly, “12 years after, the said gazette is yet to be released to the Anglican Communion”, the Church regretted in the letter.
The Communion, which has 8 dioceses in the State, had for several years through several correspondences pleaded with the State Government to release the official gazette transferring all Anglican primary and Secondary schools to the Anglican Mission pursuant to the Schools Transfer Law Cap141, Law of Enugu State and the Supplementary guidelines thereto. The government had, during the tenure of Dr Chimaroke Nnamani as the Governor of Enugu State and Dr Festus Uzor as the Commissioner for Education respectively did a comprehensive compilation of all mission schools taken over by the State Government after the Civil war, reached and signed an agreement to return them to their owners.
When Barr. Sullivan Chime took over the reigns of administration in the State, the State government gazetted and returned all the Roman Catholic Mission schools but failed to return those of the Anglican Communion. It was to make good the dichotomy in the implementation of the government’s decision to return mission schools to all denominations that it wrote the above cited letter in 2010 which it has implemented in breach.
The Church then declared that ‘due to the Enugu State Government’s failure, neglect, or refusal to release the said gazette, the said Anglican dioceses in Enugu State will no longer forebear from invoking the due process of the law to compel the performance of public duty in the interest of fairness, equity and justice.’
A source very privy to the agitation disclosed that the suit was almost ready to be filed in court to press home their demand. He also expressed regrets that the State government seemed to have an axe to grind with the Anglican Church by not releasing their schools like it did for the Catholic Mission. The Anglican Mission in the State had stepped up its concern for the education of its faithful and had also finalized plans to establish a College of Education in the State to train teachers that would be used in their schools.
The claims of the Church according to the letter among others are:
- “A declaration that the Enugu State Government having committed itself in law and equity to return schools to voluntary agencies retains no legal or equitable rights to withhold the return of all Anglican Primary and Secondary Schools to the Anglican Mission of the said eight(8) Anglican Dioceses in Enugu State.
- “A declaration that the Enugu State Government having committed itself in law and equity to return schools to voluntary agencies retains no legal or equitable rights to withhold the release of Official Gazette for the return of all Anglican Primary and Secondary Schools to the Anglican Mission of the said eight(8) Anglican Dioceses in Enugu State.
- “An order of Mandamus compelling the Enugu State Government vide the Hon. Commissioner for Education to return all Anglican Primary and Secondary Schools to the Anglican Mission of the said eight(8) Anglican Dioceses in Enugu State”
Drumnewsonline learnt that the Anglican Mission is yet to get any response from the State Government on their letter. A senior State government official, who was contacted for comment on the letter sent to their Ministry before press time, distanced himself from the discussion. “I am not competent to speak on it, please”, was his riposte.
The waiting game continues.
Source: Drumnewsonline
