Students of the University of Lagos on Tuesday, took to major streets around the university in protest of the change of the name of the university by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Our correspondent reports that students came out in thousands to demonstrate and also blocked the entrance of the campus, insisting that Unilag retains its name. they carried placards that read: “we will occupy till Unilag remains”.
Jonathan had in the course of his broadcast to mark the Democracy Day had announced that the University of Lagos would henceforth be known as the Moshood Abiola University.
According to him, the move was part of efforts by the Federal Government to recognise the contribution as well as honour heroes, who had stood and fought for democracy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the pronouncement subsequently sparked off reactions from stakeholders with the latest being a protest by the students of the university.
Some of the students, who spoke to NAN, said that 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.
Dr Olubunmi Ajibade, Senior Lecturer, Mass Communication Department, said that there was need for Federal Government to reconsider its decision by reverting to the status quo to forestall peace on campus.
Olubunmi said that 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.
“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,” he said.
He noted that the university’s change of name was unnecessary, especially as it has a long standing tradition of academic excellence.
“Moshood Abiola was a symbol of democracy which everyone could attest to. In that respect, if we actually want to immortalise him, which is good, we could as well declare a particular day as a National public holiday in his honour,” he said. (NAN)