Catholic Church explains clamour for return of schools to missionaries
Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu, the Director Media and Communications, Catholic Secretariat, Archdiocese of Abuja, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia. Madu spoke on the sideline of the 2012 second Plenary Meeting of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. He said: “if such schools are returned, the standard of […]
Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu, the Director Media and Communications, Catholic Secretariat, Archdiocese of Abuja, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia.
Madu spoke on the sideline of the 2012 second Plenary Meeting of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
He said: “if such schools are returned, the standard of Nigerian graduates will further improve.”
The clergy noted that the pervasive immorality in the society such as cultism, drug addiction, indiscipline, corruption, prostitution and violent crimes were all connected to faulty education foundation.
He said though churches in Nigeria were asking for the return of schools taken over during the military regime, most churches had re-established nursery, primary and secondary schools.
“The Bishops Conference of Nigeria had established Veritas University, now being rated among the best universities in the world.
“Veritas is not just good in the area of academics, but in inculcating morals and ethical values that should characterize a good society,’’ he said.
He said it was important to impart sound moral values in the youth so as to ameliorate the numerous socio-economic and political problems of the society.
Madu added, “Catholic Church is not new in education, renowned university like Prime University is owned by the church, among others.’’
The clergy stressed the need for states that had returned mission schools to their original owners to provide them with grant.
He appealed to state governments that were yet to return the schools to their owners to do so in the interest of the educational development of the country.