A community in Jigawa State has expelled a religious cleric for opposing Western education and discouraging the enrollment of children in conventional schools.
The incident unfolded in Gwaram Local Government Area, according to Ado Yakubu, a member of the Jigawa State House of Assembly.
Yakubu, who represents the Gwaram constituency, disclosed that traditional leaders in the community took decisive action against the cleric.
Yakubu revealed the details while speaking to reporters on Thursday during an event organized by the Jigawa State Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in collaboration with UNICEF.
The event, supported by the European Union (EU), aimed to promote the enrollment of children in schools across the state.
The lawmaker emphasized the collaborative effort required to address the issue of out-of-school children.
He noted that some clerics have been actively discouraging local communities from sending their children to conventional schools, which has exacerbated the problem.
“A cleric was influencing locals not to enroll their children in acquiring Western education,” Yakubu said.
“We engaged him in discussion with the traditional leaders.
“We found that the cleric’s perspective on Western education was discouraging and misleading, and we decided to expel him because he was not a partner in progress and not an indigene of the town.”
Yakubu did not disclose the name of the expelled cleric but underscored that such actions were necessary to overcome the obstacles impeding educational progress.
He expressed frustration with the negative influence of some clerics and highlighted the need to address these challenges.
“We have identified other challenges hindering the enrollment of children in schools,” Yakubu continued. He listed several issues, including inter-community rivalries, lack of schools in some areas, and personal grudges preventing children from attending school.
Yakubu revealed that 43 villages in Gwaram LGA have been identified as having high numbers of out-of-school children. He pointed out that some parents have been reluctant to enroll their children due to disputes with village heads or the lack of nearby schools.
