CLASS;
ND 2A
MATRIC
NO: NMC/10/1531
UNILAG: Students, alumni, others reject renaming,
drag FG to court
.FG
seeks senate for approval, says ‘no going back’
By Sodiq Oyeleke with
Agency Reports
Barely 90 minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan
announced the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to Moshood Abiola
University (MAU), hundreds of students of the university trooped out to the
streets in protest, claiming the president's pronouncement was ‘a fiat’ and showed their displeasure over the action.
President
Jonathan Entrance of
UNILAG
The announcement ignited protests by students who
wanted the decision rescinded. Senior lecturers,
a number of prominent
Nigerians and
alumni association of the school also rejected the renaming, while the acting vice
chancellor said Jonathan’s announcement came as ‘a surprise’.
This also made the students took to the streets of Lagos and blocked the
ever-busy Third Mainland Bridge, causing traffic gridlock.
They blocked both sides of the roadway with luxury buses donated
to their school by Lagos State Government, and prevented vehicular movement between the Lagos island
and mainland.
This led to traffic snarl on the Oworonshoki, Bariga,
Ojota-Ketu ends of Ikorodu highway, as well as on Alapere, 7up bus stop,
Mobolaji Johnson Way and Alausa secretariat.
A leader of the protesters, Akeem Ajibade, who
addressed his colleagues, said they will remain on the road till President
Jonathan reverses the
renaming of the university.
“We decided to move here so that the whole world will
know that we took exception to the renaming of UNILAG. We urge other Nigerians
to support our cause and make the President change his decision,” he said.
Hours later, riot policemen tried to disperse the
demonstrators, and state commissioner of police, Umar Manko, appealed to them
to be peaceful.
“We can’t allow a breakdown of law and order in the
state, so I urge you to go back to your campus and remain peaceful,” the police
commissioner said.
However, the
family of the late Moshood Abiola has welcomed the decision and dismissed the
public outcry as unwarranted.
As a result of protests that trailed Jonathan’s
announcement, the university’s senate announced a two-week suspension of
academic activities and ordered students to vacate the campus to forestall
unrest.
A memo published by the university
read, “In view of the recent developments on our
campuses, the senate of the university has directed that all academic
activities be suspended forthwith for two weeks.
“Accordingly all students are to vacate the halls of
residence, latest by 11 am today, May 30, 2012.
“The university security has been mandated to ensure
compliance. Meanwhile burial arrangements for the late Vice chancellor will go
on as planned.”
But the students rejected the closure order, as they
gathered at the basement of the senate building calling for a reversal.
One of the protesting students,
Abayomi Ajisafe said,
“We are not going anywhere.
The management should
reverse the closure order because we won’t vacate the hostels.”
Deputy Vice Chancellor on Academic and Research, Prof.
Babatunde Alo, while addressing the students, urged them to remain calm and return to their halls of
residence.
Meanwhile, The Federal Government said the decision to rename the
University of Lagos after the late Moshood Abiola will stand despite protests
by students that led to the closure of the institution.
Information Minister Labaran Maku told journalists
after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House in
Abuja yesterday that government would not reverse its decision to rename UNILAG
to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.
Maku said Jonathan’s renaming of the university was
done in the best interest of the country.
“What he therefore did as a visitor to the University
of Lagos was to name the school after Chief Moshood Abiola of blessed memory;
he did so in the best interest of the country,” the minister said.
“He did so because any nation that does not honour
those who clearly stand out and make a sacrifice as a role model to follow,
cannot appeal to the best in its own traditions for its citizens to follow and
decision has been made in very good faith by Mr President and we have seen
reactions by a section of the students of university of Lagos.
“We have also seen the outpouring of encomiums by
patriots, by statements and people who really understand the reasons why the
president honoured Chief Abiola.
“It is our hope that reason will prevail and that the
decision to honour one of our country’s icons and heroes will be appreciated by
all Nigerians, including our youths and students who are the future leaders of
this country.”
Maku said renaming the university after Abiola is one
of the best decisions that the President has taken in recognition of the
evolution of democracy and the drive for national unity and development.
However, Some students of University of Lagos, UNILAG, now,
Moshood Abiola University, have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to
declare that the power to change or amend the name of University of Lagos being
a body corporate, having perpetual succession with common seal as provided
under the University of Lagos Act 1967(as amended) belongs to the national
legislatures.
The students, who sued President Goodluck Jonathan,
also asked the court to declare that UNILAG, being a creation of an act
of the National Assembly, the University of Lagos Act, 1967 (as amended),
cannot be governed except in accordance with the provisions of the University
of Lagos Act, 1967.
They are also praying the court to declare that the
announcement contained in the President’s May 29, 2012, broadcast,
changing the name of University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, is
unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
The students want the court to resolve whether the
President, in his capacity as the Visitor to University of Lagos has the power
under the University of Lagos Act, 1967, to unilaterally change the name of the
institution to Moshood Abiola University.
They also want the court to determine whether the
President, in the exercise of the executive powers of the federation vested in
him in Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution, can unilaterally change the name of
University of Lagos without recourse to the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan has sent a letter to the Senate, asking it to approve
the renaming of the University of Lagos.
Jonathan’s
letter conveying the request was read on the floor of the Senate at the
commencement of plenary by Senate President, David Mark.
In the letter,
Jonathan asked the Senate to approve the renaming of the Federal University of
Technology Umudike to Michael Okpara University, Umudike; Federal Univeristy of
Technology, Yola to Modibbo Adamawa University and University of Lagos to
Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.
The president’s
request comes on the heels of public disapproval and protests over his renaming
of UNILAG on May 29, 2012.
CLICK ON http://newstrawl.blogspot.com/#!/2012/05/jonathans-democracy-day-speech.html FOR THE FULL VERSION OF PRESIDENT SPEECH DURING MAY 29, 2012 INDEPENDENT DAY.
CLICK ON http://newstrawl.blogspot.com/#!/2012/05/jonathans-democracy-day-speech.html FOR THE FULL VERSION OF PRESIDENT SPEECH DURING MAY 29, 2012 INDEPENDENT DAY.
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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