Archbishop Ugorji denounces Imo State education directives

Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Owerri criticized recent education directives from the Imo State Commissioner of Education, describing them as despotic and overreaching. In a statement released September 4, the Archbishop argued that policies issued by Commissioner Bernard Thomson, also identified as Prof. B.T.O. Ikegwuoha, undermine academic freedom and the participation of stakeholders in the education sector.

The Archbishop specifically faulted policies that centralize control and micro-manage mission and private schools. He noted that these directives compel Christian schools in the southeastern Nigerian state to observe Islamic holidays and allow the government to dictate school resumption and closing dates. Ugorji stated that this top-down approach strips educators of decision-making power and replaces it with rigid, flawed instructions. He argued that a healthy education system requires mutual respect and open dialogue among administrators, teachers, parents, and students.