The renaming of UNILAG as Moshood Abiola University has generated protests and ugly reactions at its best primarily from of 50 years existence and it is therefore not so easy to give away that brand name and its historical relevance nationally, regionally and globally.
Yet, MKO Abiola was the sacrificial lamb of the democracy that Nigerians now enjoy and desire to improve upon. There ought to be no restriction as to how MKO Abiola name should be FORTIFIED as the slain democracy hero- if it well means renaming UNILAG after him- so be it!
What UNILAG officers should embark upon right now, in view of the new name is to be in consultative moves with the federal government in order to design effective master plan that will effect a smooth transition of the name changed while not losing its reputation, ranking and identity worldwide.
Who said that UNILAG cannot wear Moshood Abiola University of Lagos identity effectively and still maintain and retain its national, regional and global relevance and position? Nations around the world immortalise their heroes by naming tertiary institution and other public institution after them. Why in this case, should the students resort to protests in UNILAG's case?
Switching democracy day public holiday to Moshood Abiola day public holiday as suggested by the ex-vice chancellor of UNILAG Prof Ibidapo Obe is not an adequate way to compensate the man for laying down his life. In my opinion, he deserved a lot more. This move practically serves the purpose of recognising the price he paid for democracy in our land.
Abiola’s journey to Abacha’s gulag and his ultimate demise after four years in prison seemed to be a devastating blow on the collective psyche of self anointed apostles of democracy who encouraged him to declare himself as a president but later departed him as he was arrested on the eve of his declaration and imprisoned in an isolated prison for four years.
What Chief Abiola died for or was killed for according to Prof. Omo Omoruyi in his publication- Epitaph to ‘The tale of June 12’: Remembering chief MKO Abiola and a message for president Obasanjo of Nigeria was “because of what the June 12 would have brought about in Nigeria.
“There were two issues that were dreaded by the ‘geo-ethno-military-ruling-clique’. First, Chief Abiola’s election would have led to a shift of power from the north to the south; second, the free, fair and credible election would have led to a shift of power from the ‘geo-ethno-military-ruling-clique’ to the Nigerian voters for the first time in the Nigerian history. These two issues still remain today undisclosed, undiscussed, and unresolved. Are they dead with Chief Abiola? Those who are clamoring for a National Conference want these issues resolved at such a forum partly because they are too fundamental and partly because they are beyond the capacity of the normal governmental process to handle. Would President Obasanjo and the National Assembly listen?”
The detail exposition of Nigeria power structure presented by Prof. Omo Omoruyi as an insider and a co-actor who witnessed firsthand, every stage of the conspired events being played out by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) and chief MKO Abiola stages of response and refusal to forego his mandate decimated the northerners determined effort not to want power slip out of their hand come sun come rain. Chief MKO Abiola was denied the leadership, was denied his mandate bestowed on him through a landslide victory in an election declared free and fair in history.
IBB opened up to MKO Abiola that the northerners will kill MKO if he assumed the presidency and that they will kill him IBB too, if he sworn MKO in and handed over to him. Instead, they tasked IBB to settle him, to offer him money and let him forego his mandate; which MKO referred to as an insult on his person and on the voters’ collective integrity. The Washington’s influence in the wake of Abacha’s death and General Abubakar’s commitment to uphold and retain the northerners’ fist on power was sacrosanct to all the pressures from the international community and the EU and Washington putting pressures on Chief Abiola to forego his mandate as the condition for his release.
According to Prof. Omo Omoruyi “Chief Abiola must have just discovered to his greatest shock that the all mighty ‘Washington’ he trusted was not to be relied upon to defend his mandate and the democratic rights of Nigerians. He would have known of this fact, if he were allowed his freedom unconditionally.
“Chief Abiola must have been shocked to death when the all mighty ‘Washington’ was in Abuja in quick succession to the UN Secretary-General pushing for his release on the basis of his renunciation of the mandate from the Nigerian voters on June 12, 1993.”
Those who did not have access to events that underpinned the death of Chief Abiola and a make-up democracy that evolved in the process to avert Nigeria’s eventual break up as it tilted on the verge of civil war seemed to underplay the significance of Chief MKO Abiola’s death and the symbolism of his relevance in Nigeria’s 21st century history. The northerners’ were not prepared to embrace a return to democracy and were not in tune with a southerner assuming presidency. The death of chief Abiola made these two objectives achievable. The fact that southerners have consolidated their grip on presidency today makes the northerners feel uncomfortable as made visible through the actions of Boko haram’s determined struggle to make Nigeria ungovernable if the power does not return to the north and through General Buhari’s recent comments of the dog and the baboon will be soaked in blood come 2015 if election is rigged, in other words, if President Jonathan returns to power.
Absolutely nothing seems too big in immortalising Chief MKO Abiola’s name. Perhabs the students of UNILAG and their academic staff union are not mindful or conscious of history in form of political sacrifice chief MKO Abiola paid with his life. He was able to avert with his dear life a Nigerian nation from collapsing into civil war. He saved the Nigerian youths from being used in fighting civil wars and thus lay prostrate, completely prostrate; at the feet of a battle that will rage for years. Renaming UNILAG Moshood Abiola University clearly demonstrates acknowledging this great Nigerian, this great human being, and this great democrat, this great African whose belief is in the sanctity of the ballot box.
Chief MKO Abiola should not die in vain! What his death supposed to correct still remains elusive till today. I will conclude this piece by quoting excerpts from Prof. Omo Omoruyi- Epitaph to ‘The tale of June 12’ in which he said: “The death of Chief Abiola ought to lead to a renegotiated Nigeria to make a true federal system and a restructured military to make it representative of all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. Nigeria needs a reoriented military that is accountable to a democratic order. I know that Chief Abiola would have achieved these three policies. It should be noted that one of the real reasons for the annulment was the fear that he would reform the armed forces. This in a nutshell, I call the issues in the annulment, which are still with Nigeria up till today. Would President be able to lead Nigerians to resolve them?”
I rest my case.