Re-naming of UNILAG: Pat Utomi, others condemn FG’s decision
On June 1, 2012 · In Special Report 5:22 pmEmail0

BY EBUN SESSOU

We need to preserve our institution —Gbadamosi

For Sesan Gbadamosi, an alumni of UNILAG and proprietor, Bell Time School, renaming the institution is an improper step taken by the Federal Government. “UNILAG is an old institution of 50 years and it is not proper to put down the reputation of the institution.

“We need to preserve our old institutions that have made names. But all that has changed now that there is a change of name and that will in its own cause confusion.”

He added that if there was going to be any institution to be named after MKO, it should either be University of Abuja or the national stadium.

He further explained that, some institutions that have been renamed including University of Ile-Ife which is now Obafemi Awolowo University was done due to late Obafemi Awolowo’s involvement in the establishment of the institution. “Awolowo started the University in 1962, he was part of the people that laid the foundation for University of Ife and that is the justification for naming the school after him but it was wrong to relate UNILAG to what Abiola did.”

According to him, “Abiola is not only from South West and so it is wrong to politicalise what is expected to be regarded as a national honour. The federal government has only localised the impact of June 12 instead of being a national issue.

“This is not a military regime where someone can make a pronouncement without looking at the act of parliament. The fact that University of Lagos was the first University that was established through the act of parliament in 1962”, he added.

“We have the national stadium in Abuja, it can be renamed after MKO or the Eagle Square, this will show that the federal government recognises the meaning of democracy in Nigeria.”

Asked what remedy he thought is open to the academia in reversing the name, he said, the institution should seek redress by going to court. “Let the academic union take the federal government to court. I am not against it but let it be the role Abiola played. It is the choice of location that is wrong”.

People running the affairs of this country need additional tutorials -Ogunduro

An educationist and alumni of UNILAG, Peter Ogunduro, in his opinion said, the development is an indication that the people running the affairs of the country need to return to the classrooms for tutorials on how to run a country. “We are aware that the academic institutions of today are not well respected and the little positive name they seemed to have gained has been eroded by the kind of president we have.

UNILAG is among the few varsities in Nigeria with reputation in and outside the shores of Nigeria and when the name is taken away and given a new name, the kind that the president has just announced, we are telling the international communities that they should forget Nigeria.

Nobody is contesting the fact that someone has given a supreme sacrifice in the history of democracy in Nigeria but this is certainly not the best way in which we show gratitude to him.

There are better ways of doing that. The university has been robbed of its autonomy. That university has been debased and I think that the price the nation has to pay for such action will be great.”

Asked how he feels MKO should have been immortalised, he said, “We all know that he was a great entrepreneur and the world we live in today has become very obvious and so if we want his legacy to be remembered forever, then it is therefore important to align young people into investing in entrepreneurship.

It will do a lot if we use our resources in the crude oil to build a great institution where we provide opportunities for fresh graduates in the varsity to spend some quality time in the institution to learn entrepreneurship. And by the time we begin to compete globally and advancing in all that we are doing, by that his name will not be forgotten. Abiola was known to be providing inspiration to people of lowly background.

“UNILAG is a place known to have produced a good number of fantastic lawyers and we know that there was an act of parliament that established university of Lagos. I am not sure that the president consulted the people in the academic community before he went along this line, so, the lawyers in UNILAG should be able to go to court and that is the right step to approach this issue and if truly the president knows and abides by the rule of law and the judges are not biased in their ruling, I remember that the decision will not be in favour of changing the name

. Until proper procedure is followed by a way of consultation.

The Chairman of the University Of Lagos, UNILAG branch of ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities), Dr Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, while addressing a gathering of protesting UNILAG students, assured them that the Union will fight against Jonathan’s decision to change the name of the tertiary institution to Moshood Abiola University. “I want to tell you that ASUU is by you, the entire University of Lagos is by you. We woke up peacefully and saw the man announce a stupid decision”, he said.

He said, that President Jonathan wanted to score a cheap political point with the decision to change UNILAG’s name, he added.

His intention is wrong —Pat Utomi

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the renaming of the University of Lagos, UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University, MAU, following President Goodluck Jonathan’s democracy speech that the school will no longer be called UNILAG.

Nigerians especially the school authorities, ASUU members, academic and non academic staff, students and alumnus members have condemned the renaming of school saying that it will no longer be business as usual.

Reasons for their condemnation also include that the renaming of the school is capable of reducing the reputation of the institution adding the school which has not only survived by creating a brand name for itself even in the global world but it has been able to compete with other international institutions.

One of the people who have condemned the development is Prof. Pat Utomi. In his reaction, he said, if president Jonathan will truly want to immortalise late chief Moshood Abiola, it should have been tailored towards his outstanding achievement which is more pronounced in politics and business world.

His word: “My reaction is simple. There is no problem in honouring Abiola which many of us have been craving for a longtime. But, I think it should have followed a due process. It is not very wise to rename an institution that has been built for a longtime and sacrifice it at the altar of political exigencies. The cost of reputation that will disappear should be considered.

“If the president wants to name a prestigious university after Abiola, I think, the federal university of agriculture, Abeokuta should be considered. I think it is not a wise decision. The result of his intention has been negative.”

He opined that the development will not only reduce the school’s reputation but is capable of making many people lose connection. The brand image of UNILAG which also is the reputation.

Asked if the renaming of the school is not capable of boosting the reputation of the school, he said, “I don’t think his larger than life image is associated with education. If it is the business department of the institution that he has renamed, that will speak volume, but I expect the president to change his mind and reverse the name which is the wise step to take.”


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