When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the states will have no business with religion.
Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and a former presidential candidate, has criticized all the northern governors for their decision to close schools in Kano, Bauchi, Katsina, Katsina, and Kebbi states because of Ramadan.
He described the action as both Ignorant and idiotic in a recent interview, Sowore questioned why Nigeria, would permit religious factors to interfere with academic activity during the month of Ramadan.
Sowore, “When I become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the states will have no business with religion.
“I can’t be President and you come and close down schools because of fasting. It takes me back to outrage again that that has become normalized. Religion is sensitive.
“It is outrageous that anybody will close down schools where knowledge is supposed to be transmitted and transferred, including to Muslims.
“Because some of the schools that are also going to be closed are Quranic centers. So how do they learn the Quran if the schools are closed down because of fasting?
“It speaks to the depth of ignorance that has become the state policy in Nigeria. The leaders are ignoramuses. Basically, let me just put it straight, they are idiots.
“They should ask Saudi Arabia where everybody travel to for the lesser Hajj. Did they close down their schools? They can’t even afford to because they need the schools to produce the next Quranic leaders.
“That is why Karl Max said that religion is the opium of the masses, the moment they sniff it, they lose their minds. And the more we separate the state religion, the better.
“If you want to close down anybody, close down the government’s house. So that you can stop the corruption.
“We can invest in it in sending children to school. The schools instead should provide food so that when the children are about to leave, they break their fast.
“Bring them back early in the morning to break their fast and continue their education. Do you know that scientifically that when people are fasting, their minds are clearer, and they are purer, scientifically.
“This is not even spirituality. If you fast, you are a better person than the person who is not fasting.
“Your brain works because the distribution of nutrients goes to where it should be but when you eat too much, you are just bogged down by hubris. When fasting is actually a better time to learn.
“They can even ask that they should do a fatwa on me for saying that they should not close down schools.
“They have weaponized religion in Nigeria. Ebuka Obi has been caught… this is not the first time he would be caught.
“They will tell you that they have a powerful God and you should worship the God and there is nothing He cannot do.
“But then, they will go and use the police to fight their physical enemies. You are saying God is powerful but you can’t even rely on God.
“You still go to the Godless police to detain people. Ebuka Obi has detained Ijele now for close to a year because Ijele said he performs fake miracles.
“The policeman he was using was caught in another crime and has been fired from the police; that is enough to even dismiss the case. Ijele is at Ikoyi Prison with a kidney problem.
“I know all these religious people are fake, all of us know it. I grew up in a village that has eight churches and the people that heal the church people were the herbalists.
“So forget about all these big churches lying to you. Like I said, I know again, the Muslims and the Christians will come after me.
“The reason why religion is thriving in our society is because government does not exist, otherwise if you have great governance today in this country, your prayer points will change.
“Go and ask those who travelled abroad, some of them cannot even remember the churches they attended in Nigeria.
“Because you can’t go and buy anointing oil to pour on transformer abroad because you don’t even know where the transformer that powers your house is located; it is buried underground.
“The first time that man started living long was when we brought sanitation into our lives, not religion. As you can see, religion has killed more people in this country than has saved people.
“Most of the people who are pastors today are people who couldn’t make it in real life; they went to school they failed or some who don’t want to do serious work.
“Like the Dunamis man, Paul Enenche, I told him before, I said your church, if it was a hospital, you know you would be saving more people.
“He got upset. He doesn’t want to hear my name. I said let us convert this to a hospital for one year, you will see how many people you will save. But you are here using the place as collection point for victims of your false doctrine.”
Sowore comment on Northern Governors Order. It began when an order to close schools for a period of five weeks was issued by the government of Bauchi State owing to the month of Ramadan.
Christian private school owners in particular have voiced their disapproval of this mandate, arguing that the government’s edict should not exclude any student from receiving an education because of the demographic diversity of the student body.
They stated that students’ readiness for external exams, WAEC, NECO, and JAMB will be impacted by the break because the curriculum might not be covered.
Previously, the government permitted schools to make their own decisions, allowing those that desired to close to do so, while others were permitted to remain open.
However, the head of private schools in the state ministry of education sent a circular stating that private schools must follow government directives.
The statement read, “I am directed to inform you that the official closing date of all Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools in the State is Wednesday 26th February, 2025. All Private Schools must comply with the academic calendar.
“Although, the liberty of one week before or after, still stands (but with a concrete reason).
“The Local Government Taskforce on Private Schools are instructed by the Ministry to forward the name of school that refuse to comply, for further necessary action, please.”