Mixed reactions trail renaming of UNILAG after Abiola

UNILAG students protesting against the change of name

•Students take to the streets

Mixed reactions yesterday greeted President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-naming of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University.

While some respondents supported the idea, others saw it as unnecessary.

The president in his broadcast to the nation to mark Democracy Day and one year of his administration named the university after the late Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential poll.

Students of UNILAG took to major streets around the university in protest against the change of name.

Some of the students, who spoke to NAN, said their action was informed by the sudden change of name of the institution by the Federal Government, adding that “it is ill timed and unacceptable’’.

Mr Muritala Adura, a 400 level student of the Faculty of Political Science said that the decision would be resisted as there was no such plan in place by the founding fathers of the university to change the name.

Adura said that the change of name was uncalled for, especially at a time when the entire university was in a mourning mood.

Miss Chidinma Okafor, a second year student of the Faculty of Education, pleaded with the Federal Government to reconsider reversing its decision so as to maintain the stability and peace that have been existing in the university.

Okafor said that the change of name ought to have been given a serious thought going by the fact that it would truncate a lot of developmental issues that were in the pipeline.

“There are some corporate organisations that had partnered with the institution locally and internationally and must have had a lot of documents and other things printed in the name of unilag.

“How do such people start all over again to change to the new name.

“The name Moshood Abiola University is not even attractive and in the real sense most of us are protesting because our certificates on graduation will not bear that name University of Lagos.

“And which has been the dream of most of the undergraduates,’’ she said

Another student, Joseph Ezekiel, said that he was not against the decision by the Federal Government to immortalise or recognise heroes who toiled for democracy in the country.

He said that the Federal Government should have considered university’s antecedent and what it stood for.

“We are not against government’s decision to honour anyone who deserved to be honoured but what we are saying is that the name of the university, which is almost a household name in the entire continent and beyond cannot just disappear.

“There are other Federal Government institutions scattered all around the country that could be used for such purpose without raising much argument, especially if it is not as popular as the University of Lagos.

“You can see the magnitude of violence that this singular pronouncement has caused and if care is not taken could lead to something else if nothing is done about it immediately.

The Protesting students took to the streets, barricading major highways. They gathered at Oyingbo, Yaba, Sabo, Akoka and Fadeyi on the Ikorodu road, blocking the highways. 

Traffic was brought to a standstill, with a few vehicles plying the roads.

Armed police were stationed at Akoka, a few metres from the campus, but they kept their distance from the irate students.

The acting president of the students union, Mr Idowu Odumose, described the name change as an act of injustice.

“It is an injustice to the institution. The change cannot be done unilaterally without amending the act setting up the university.’’ 

Mr Alli Sanni, the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Lagos State Chapter, said the change was announced without consultation with the students and other stakeholders.

“It is shocking to wake up to find out that the school’s identity has been changed.

“The government should have renamed one of the new federal universities after Abiola,’’ he said.

Professor of Law, Mr. Taiwo Osipitan(SAN), Promoter, Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), MR. Ayo Opadokun, Trade Unionist, Mr. Frank Kokori and Former Executive Director, Civil Liberties Organisation, (CLO) Mr. Abdul Oroh, commended Jonathan for his good intention.

Osipitan said: “I must commend the President for remembering to honour Abiola, but the President should know that the only way University of Lagos can be renamed is through the National Assembly  because it is an institution that is established by law and the National Assembly will have to amend the law establishing the university.

“If the president really wants to honour Abiola, he should have thought of naming one of the new federal universities after him because UNILAG is a very cosmopolitan institution with local and international image,” he said.

Opadokun commended the president for the belated recognition bestowed on Abiola, even as he queried the process that led to the pronouncement.

“I think that the thought or process that led to the pronouncement is questionable, faulty and not fully considered.” Opadokun said.

Kokori said renaming UNILAG was not the peoples’ priority at the moment, although he expressed appreciation to the president for honouring Abiola.

“I am happy, even though it is not the peoples’ priority for now. I won’t talk further,” he said.

Oroh  noted that Abiola while he was alive, contributed financially to support many Nigerian universities in their trying times, adding that he died in the struggle for democracy.

“MKO was denied an election that was acclaimed the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria. In his struggle for democracy, he was imprisoned after which he died on the eve of reclaiming his mandate. So, there is nothing wrong with the president honouring him by renaming UNILAG after him. Havard was University in the United Sates, was New College but renamed after John Harvard.

The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum (YRLF) hailed President Jonathan for the action.

In a statement by its National Secretary Akin Malaolu, the Forum said the President “deserves commendation for his courage to do what his predecessors failed to do.” 

It said: “Abiola paid the supreme price with his life for democracy which we are all enjoying. Nigerians have clamoured for him to be appropriately honoured. This has been done by the President, it is worthy of commendation.” 

The National Vice-President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Dr Nasir Fagge, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the renaming of the university was a welcome development. 

“It is a welcome development to the country’s democracy. The government has the right to rename any institution or national monument,’’ he said.

Head of the Department of Mass Communication in the university,  Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, criticised the renaming of the institution.

Describing it as a misplaced priority, the don noted that the announcement came at a time when the university was still mourning the death of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe.

Akinfeleye said: “The renaming came at a wrong time and it was not done in accordance with the law establishing the institution.

“It not a wrong thing to honour the late Abiola, who sacrificed so much during his life time for democracy, but the process and choice of institution, is wrong.

“ Abiola was not a sectional leader. If any honour should be given to him, it should be done in the Federal Capital Territory.” 

He suggested that the national stadium or the University of Abuja should be named after the late politician.

Another UNILAG lecturer, Dr Jide Oluwajuyitan, said the late Abiola was bigger than the university and should be accorded a better national honour.

Oluwajuyitan, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, noted that most of the current students might not know Abiola and the significance of naming the school after him.

“ Abiola is bigger than UNILAG and he deserves more honour in Abuja and not in the Southwest where he hailed from.’’

Senior Lecturer, Mass Communication Department, UNILAG, Dr  Olubunmi Ajibade, said there was need for Federal Government to reconsider its decision by reverting to the status quo to forestall breakdown of peace on campus.

Olubunmi said there was nothing wrong in recognising and immortalising those who were symbols of democracy but that such decision ought to have gone through the parliament to be debated upon.

He said: “As you can see, the entire university is in a state of chaos because of the president’s pronouncement and this could lead to something else.

“We know very well that the Federal Government is the proprietor of the university but decisions such as this ought to have been given a second thought and approached with caution.

“The situation on campus would have even been worse if not for the registrar who has been on ground to douse the tension by pleading with the students.” 

Human rights lawyer Bamidele Aturu said:“It is a welcome development, but it is not enough. What is more important is for Nigerians to reap the dividends of the democracy that Abiola died for.”

The  founder of the Odu’a People’s Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Faseun, said the renaming had “downgraded the university’’.

“Abiola was my very good friend, but I still do not support the naming of the University of Lagos after him based on local sentiment.

“Obviously, Abiola merits any democratic concept that could be named after him, but his aspirations had nothing to do with a university of the status of UNILAG,’’ he said.

Dr. Pat Utomi, the 2011 Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), said it was a good thing to name a monument after Abiola, but more consultations should have been held to determine what was most suitable.

“The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, should have been named after him.’’

The Director of Strategy, Coalition of Odu’a Self-Determination Groups (COSEG), Mr Rasaq Oladosu, said any monument outside the Southwest would have been ideal for Abiola.

The  Save Nigeria Group (SNG) has said Abiola deserved the highest honour in the land.

It said: “While acknowledging the place of Abiola in the political history of Nigeria, we would want the highest possible honour for him.

“We, however, deplore the renaming of the University of Lagos after him,’’the SNG said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, in Lagos yesterday.

“We restate our demand that Abiola must be given a befitting honour for the sacrifices he made for democracy in Nigeria in a decent and worthy manner.”