The Bishop of the Diocese of Ife, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Reverend Olubunmi Akinlade, has called on the Osun State Government to return mission schools to their original owners to stop further deterioration of the school infrastructure and revive quality learning environments.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Ile-Ife, ahead of the second session of the 12th synod of the diocese, Akinlade emphasized the urgent need for action.
He lamented the poor condition of some of the schools, saying that years of neglect have turned once-thriving institutions into shadows of themselves. He appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to emulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who returned mission schools to their founding bodies during his tenure as Lagos State governor.
“Honestly, I am appealing to the Osun State Government. Please release these schools back to us so that we can develop them and provide a conducive learning environment. In any case, they belong to us,” Akinlade said.
“If you took them away and can’t maintain them, kindly give them back. One of the school buildings has a caved-in roof, yet students are still there. I’ve been speaking about this since the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.”
He mentioned Anglican Grammar School, Ile-Ife, as one of the institutions that should be returned to the church, questioning why the government still retains control over it despite its church origins.
Akinlade also recalled that his predecessor, Bishop Oluranti Odubogun, made similar requests during his tenure, which were not honoured.
The upcoming two-day synod, themed “The Essential Secrets in a Noisy World: Lessons from Matthew 6:1–18,” will be held on April 26 and 27 at St. Philip Anglican Church, Aiyetoro, Ile-Ife.
As part of the diocese’s contribution to education, the bishop spoke about Divine Royal College, a secondary school established by the diocese a decade ago to offer young people access to affordable education.
“Divine Royal College was set up before I came to the diocese. Since then, I’ve worked to ensure its growth. The school charges between N25,000 and N30,000 per term and has awarded 50 scholarships to students,” he said.
He added that the diocese owns two school buses for student transportation, which are heavily subsidised due to the high cost of fuel.
“More than 75% of the transportation cost is being covered by the diocese. We’re gradually building this school,” he noted.
Akinlade concluded by stating that the church is working toward meeting WAEC and NECO requirements so students can take external examinations directly within the school.
