Imo state House of Assembly has denied reports that it passed a law for the establishment of an Islamic University in the state.
The house clarified that instead it passed bills for the establishment of Chosen University and Bishop Shanahan Polytechnics among other people.
A statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Marcel Ekwezuo, also denied that the house passed the N276bn 2019 appropriation bill with only seven members in attendance.
The statement said that among the bills passed by the house include bills for the establishment schools of nursing and midwifery owned by faith–based organizations and other private establishments in Imo state.
According to the statement, decision of the House to pass the bill for establishing schools of nursing and midwifery owned by Faith – based organizations and other private establishments in Imo state was because the House had earlier passed into law a similar bill to establish Imo Catholic Schools of Nursing and midwifery, which gave rise to various Churches or Christian denominations to seek approval for government recognition for their schools of Nursing and Midwifery.
It added that in view of the multiplicity of churches and the need to guarantee the constitutional right of freedom of religion/worship, the house decided to make a single law that can accommodate all other Christian faith–based institutions for the establishment of their schools of nursing and midwifery once they met the stipulated criteria instead of making one law for each Christian faith based school of nursing and midwifery each time they come.
