Abuja - President Goodluck Jonathan has
reversed the change of name of the University
of Lagos which he renamed Moshood Abiola
University in a broadcast to mark the 2012
Democracy Day. Chairman, Governing Council of University of Lagos,
Professor Jerry Gana disclosed this yesterday in Abuja
during his inauguration alongside three others by the
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai. The name change had been the subject of litigation
and protests from students and alumni of the
institution while a court recently ruled that the change
was illegal. Gana who hailed President Jonathan for retaining the
name of the institution, said the president had upheld
the Constitution by reversing the change of name of
the university. "This is a pointer to the fact that the current
administration is committed to entrenching
democracy and justice in the country." Gana, who was responding on behalf of the four
councils, said they would ensure that the universities'
communities settled down in peace. "I assure you that we will do our best to be fair, just
and honourable in the discharge of our duties." He
also promised effective leadership with integrity,
honour and justice. Gana said members would work according to the
rules governing the institutions. He thanked Jonathan
for the appointments and said they would put in their
best as Nigerians deserved nothing less. The other governing councils inaugurated by the
Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa'I, were for
the University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife and Michael Opara University of Agriculture,
Umudike. Their Chairmen are Sen. Bob Dickson, Prof. Rowland
Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Anya O. Anya respectively. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education,
Sen. Uche Chukwumerijie said the lawmakers' job had
been made easier by the appointments. Chukwumerijie said the committee's oversight visits
to the institutions had identified lack of leadership by
the absence of governing councils and the quality of
members of the boards as challenges facing the
institutions. He said the Federal Government had by the
appointments taken care of the issues. "There are councils for those that did not have and the
members who have been appointed are men and
women of proven integrity and experience in
academics." The lawmaker described the appointees as round
pegs in round holes and the right captains in the ship. Chukwumerijie charged the councils to immediately
tackle falling standards of education, corruption,
cultism and many ills that had continued to affect the
development of education. The Executive Secretary of the National Universities
Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, said no university
could function effectively without a governing council. Okojie urged government to consider training and
retreat for members to enable them to keep abreast
of global best practices in university administration. He also advocated financial autonomy for universities
in the country.

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