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The Ilorin Emirate for Unity and Development Initiative (IEUDI) recently paid a working visit to Mount Camel College, Ilorin, to investigate concerns circulating in the public about alleged religious discrepancies affecting the Muslim community within the school. Reports had reached IEUDI’s leadership that Muslim staff and students were being denied the right to freely practice their religion, including the freedom to pray within the school premises.
In a statement signed by the National President, Alhaji Moshood Lekan Salau, and the National Secretary, Honorable AbdulSalam Abdullahi AbdulRauf, IEUDI confirmed that their team met with both the Senior Secondary School Principal, Mr. Olaoye Benedict Olamide, and the Junior Secondary School Principal, Mrs. Olasehinde Victoria Anike. The purpose of the visit was to clarify the situation and verify the accuracy of the claims against the school’s treatment of its Muslim community.
Both principals acknowledged that the majority of the school’s population is Muslim, and they stressed the significance of Islam to the cultural fabric of the Ilorin Emirate community. They reiterated their commitment to fostering peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Christian students, emphasizing that no religious group is or will be marginalized within the school. According to them, both religions are granted equal rights to practice freely, with no deliberate bias or discrepancies against either faith.
Regarding the construction of a mosque on the school grounds, the principals advised that the Muslim community should follow proper procedures and channel their request through the relevant authorities. They emphasized that any new structure within the school must receive approval from the Kwara State Ministry of Education and other key stakeholders involved in school management.
In response to concerns about religious freedom, the principals highlighted several ways in which the Muslim community already benefits from school policies. These include support for the Muslim Students Society (MSS) activities, the sponsorship of students for Islamic programs, and financial assistance for students attending Arabic language practicals at the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies (CAILS).
During the visit, the school management also took the opportunity to inform the IEUDI delegation of several pressing challenges facing the institution. These include deteriorating infrastructure, a shortage of security personnel, and lack of teachers in religion subjects including Yoruba language instruction and other key subjects.
In light of these issues, IEUDI called on the alumni of Mount Camel College and the Kwara State Government to take urgent action in addressing these challenges to restore the school’s former glory. The organization emphasized the importance of rescuing the school from its current state of decline.
The IEUDI delegation, led by National Vice President 1, Hon. Bolaji Laaro Balogun, along with Alhaji AbdulRauf Omoniyi, National Organizing Secretary, Hajia Afusat Abiodun Busari, Assistant National Treasurer, Hajia Bilikis Sulaiman Arinola, and National Secretary Hon. AbdulSalam Abdullahi AbdulRauph, pledged their continued support to the school. They expressed their commitment to facilitating the development of the school and ensuring that the Muslim community within Mount Camel College has a suitable place for worship.