Wen u change the name of a man,wat is left of dat man esp wen wen d man rely on his name.

Dotman01: Students slept in Unilag and Woke up in
Moshood Abiola University, what a
miracle. Nigeria President GEJ is full of
surprises, January 1st he gave us a
New Year Gift by removing subsidy,
Today Democracy Day, He Also gave us another Gift which is renaming Unilag
to Mashood Abiola University! Beware
October 1st You might just hear that
Nigeria has been Sold τ̅☺ China!=))

lafs.... There is neva anytin a siting president does in nigeria dt is not met wit huge criticism. Even wen obj/ngozi iweala got debt relief, they were criticised. Anywhicway, a footballer plays football so a politician should play politics. Tell yr fatherz to go into politics and stop shouting frm a corner. GEJ is president, he climbed up ther thru politics yet people say he is playing politics.. Was GEJ eva a footbaler. Unilag is a product of politics jst as most institutions in d country. Even our university dons play politics wt students future.. D deed is done, make una park well b4 GEJ crush u... GCON/C in C of d AO gbe

torhuke:
lafs.... There is neva anytin a siting president does in nigeria dt is not met wit huge criticism. Even wen obj/ngozi iweala got debt relief, they were criticised. Anywhicway, a footballer plays football so a politician should play politics. Tell yr fatherz to go into politics and stop shouting frm a corner. GEJ is president, he climbed up ther thru politics yet people say he is playing politics.. Was GEJ eva a footbaler. Unilag is a product of politics jst as most institutions in d country. Even our university dons play politics wt students future.. D deed is done, make una park well b4 GEJ crush u... GCON/C in C of d AO gbe

Silly post. Just like saying someone should be a doctor if they don't want to fall sick. That GEJ is in government doesn't mean he has acquired the right to do whatever he wants with the country especially as we are in a democracy. But of course, i don't expect you to get that much. You know nothing about government and your post makes it glaringly obvious.

Sagay is very correct. I am a product UNIBEN and I think UNILAG is already a brand on its own. There is nothing wrong with having June 12 as a National Holiday - MKO Abiola day just as we have Martin Luther King Jnr Day in the US. Or alternatively, build another institution from scratch for the same purpose. Worse case: RENAME Aso Rock to the same since his attempt at getting there was truncated by the people in power then.

word of advice for GEJ: Never destabilize a working system in the name of politics.

Some people just don't get it! Why do we always see things from a myopic and simplistic point of view in this country? Why say "its just a name"? He is the GCON so he can do what ever he likes? Well I tell you it is not just a darn name! It is a 50year old colossal brand that symbolizes the existence and developmental heritage of the most vibrant and populous black race civilization (LAGOS) and you don't just change the name just like that because you have an inkling over night. You don't just wish it away. Why kill an Icon for another? why not let the two stand alone? why not name something else of more National and symbolic conciousness in Abuja after MKO Abiola(He deserves that much). If you eventually want to be headstrong about it and insist on the name change so much that you think institutional identities is of no significant to you(of course you are a small minded government and history and structure means nothing to you) at least call for consultation with the university's council and see if they would agree on the name change then you would have done the civil thing by them instead of you going on announcing it publicly like a 7year old that have just won a prize in school and can't wait to show it to his parent at home hoping to be applauded and patted on the back. You are setting a precedent here Mr. President and please let it be the right one. You are not some grand ruler of Zamunda. Learn to do things right and stop saying you are not a Lion, David, or a General why your actions suggest otherwise like this one now that is more of a decree by a dictator rather than an act ascended to by a President.

For almost 18 years, no one deemed it fit to honour the hero of democracy. There has been three Presidents since Abiola died and no one named anything after this martyr. Now Jonathan has done it and those who can never see any good in Jona' are all out to attack him as usual. Who will ever satisfy the professional critics who had vowed to hate GEJ no matter what he does?
As for the UNILAG students, it is obvious they were still in diapers when this man made the huge sacrifice to entrench the democracy they enjoy (without sweating for) today. This is a further evidence of the need to make History a compulsory subject in all our secondary schools so we don't have Nigerian undergraduates who do not know the full meaning of MKO.
I can bet they have never heard of Tai Solarin.

Obviously some people are being very sentimental about this issue.
for that whomever you are telling me that I didn't think through what I said, I dare say u have no idea what thinking means.
Do you have a reason to question the owner of an institution why he changed the name of that institution? Or can you tell the owner of a house why he should, paint it with white rather than blue. So what makes you believe that you can tell the president of a country what to change and not to change.
so if the board at havard wakes up one morning and decide to change its name, for whatever reason best known to them, will it change the quality of their graduates?
The problem with a lot of our analysis is based on the fact that we have become too sentimental rather than objective.
Firstly does the president have the right to change or announce the change of name of a federal institution?
Secondly does the name change affect the quality of education?
Did the name change change the school fees or what the hell exactly did it change. Or you think you are gonna get a job simply because you attended Unilag.
Please get real GEJ is a politician and if he plays politics, I wonder what is wrong with that.
you must understand that management at all times include making certain people happy with your decisions, there is no way on earth
You can make everyone happy.
He is the commander in chief, he oversees far more than just the moshood Abiola university.
This is not about right or wrong, its simply about people who feel that the president does not know what he is doing. As far as I can see you guys have no case against him this time around. And having a different opinion to his announcement. Changes nothing.
Instead of disturbing the peace why not move on, or did you attend Unilag because of its name or for its quality. Or do you think havard will remain at the top if it was not producing top quality men and women.
Let Unilag or mau or whatever school show us that there is more to the school than just the name.
its getting disgusting the way some folks cry over spilt milk even if I can't see any on the floor.
wether the president rescind his decision or not makes no difference to me, but we should stop stirring up issues.
If the president has done anything illegal then let the FG be dragged to court but if he has acted within his constitutional powers, then u all are wasting your time. It is done already.

Kingsleyinfo: Obviously some people are being very sentimental about this issue.
for that whomever you are telling me that I didn't think through what I said, I dare say u have no idea what thinking means.
Do you have a reason to question the owner of an institution why he changed the name of that institution? Or can you tell the owner of a house why he should, paint it with white rather than blue. So what makes you believe that you can tell the president of a country what to change and not to change.
so if the board at havard wakes up one morning and decide to change its name, for whatever reason best known to them, will it change the quality of their graduates?
The problem with a lot of our analysis is based on the fact that we have become too sentimental rather than objective.
Firstly does the president have the right to change or announce the change of name of a federal institution?
Secondly does the name change affect the quality of education?
Did the name change change the school fees or what the hell exactly did it change. Or you think you are gonna get a job simply because you attended Unilag.
Please get real GEJ is a politician and if he plays politics, I wonder what is wrong with that.
you must understand that management at all times include making certain people happy with your decisions, there is no way on earth
You can make everyone happy.
He is the commander in chief, he oversees far more than just the moshood Abiola university.
This is not about right or wrong, its simply about people who feel that the president does not know what he is doing. As far as I can see you guys have no case against him this time around. And having a different opinion to his announcement. Changes nothing.
Instead of disturbing the peace why not move on, or did you attend Unilag because of its name or for its quality. Or do you think havard will remain at the top if it was not producing top quality men and women.
Let Unilag or mau or whatever school show us that there is more to the school than just the name.
its getting disgusting the way some folks cry over spilt milk even if I can't see any on the floor.
wether the president rescind his decision or not makes no difference to me, but we should stop stirring up issues.
If the president has done anything illegal then let the FG be dragged to court but if he has acted within his constitutional powers, then u all are wasting your time. It is done already.

sorry sir but I can categorically tell you have a very wrong idea of what is gong on (No offence intended)

Your analogy is a very wrong one because the Executive power does not owned any federal institution out right. For crying out loud, we are in a democratic government where issues MOST follow the rule of law. Before such changes are made on federal institute, there is need to at least talk to the senate etc.

A better analogy would be if you are the CEO of a company (President) and you want to change the brand of your product (unilag), would you talk to you broad of directors (senate etc)/ talk to your workers (school authority) or would you just change the name just cause you are the CEO ?

Go through the link below and find out for yourself that this Giant is bigger than the UNILAG in question.

GEJ and Co should emulate the virtue of this Great Universal man and stop playing god[i][/i] with Nigerians.

Abiola is dead but lives on. We all remember him. The question is how is 160 Million (living-dead) Nigerians faring Today? Am still waiting for answers.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshood_Kashimawo_Olawale_Abiola
http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/moshood-abiola-nigerian-chief-people
^ BBC profile of MKO Abiola - http://cdnedge.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/119333.stm

I am really angry with all those condemning our President for naming his University as he so wish. As the President and Commander in Chief and also the Visitor to MAU, he has all the powers to name and re-name the University. Washington is the name of a person in U.S. and many Universities all over the world have been named after great people in the class of Abiola.

GEJ, don't mind them; i'm on the same page with you on this one.

May God bless you and continue to guide you to always take historically good decisions like this for the sake of our nation.

Dis our president,na wa to u̶̲̥̅̊​ o...dis guy is S̶̲̥̅☺ full f shit.its a disgrace on my part dt  voted 4 such...n 4 cryn out loud,y is it is dt on evry public holiday dt dis guy announces annoyn tins...1st jan,fuel subsidy...29th may,renaming f uni....let's wait n c wt will happen 1st october...probably aso rock will bcome....

Stop criticizing GEJ if he had name d like of d newly estb uni in ekiti afta abiola, it is d same enemy of progres dat wil come out and say why not unilag. GEJ we people of d southwest are very much in support of ur decision. Osun adara o...,

Donmeca:

thought u were alright...guess i now know better. Lastly if u do hate today's pronouncement just go take poison. Of all d things in dat long address, its on unilag that's tending. When will u guys understand hoodwinking?

i think you might need a strong dose of whatever poison you're peddling, seeing how you have problems cohabiting with other people?

alj harem:

sorry sir but I can categorically tell you have a very wrong idea of what is gong on (No offence intended)

Your analogy is a very wrong one because the Executive power does not owned any federal institution out right. For crying out loud, we are in a democratic government where issues MOST follow the rule of law. Before such changes are made on federal institute, there is need to at least talk to the senate etc.

A better analogy would be if you are the CEO of a company (President) and you want to change the brand of your product (unilag), would you talk to you broad of directors (senate etc)/ talk to your workers (school authority) or would you just change the name just cause you are the CEO ?

Mr man u always have this bad habit of misunderstanding people and trying to run around with your very short sighted way of reasoning.
Firstly can u please answer the questions I raised in my posts?
Secondly did u miss the part where I said if he is acting within his constitutional right then there is nothing anyone can do about it.
And do u have any sort of proof whatsoever that he didn't make consultations or seek opinion before announcing it?
Why not wait for those who u put in power to oversee him (senate and national) assembly to cry foul then you can start judging him.
like I said people are being sentimental rather than objective. if renaming Unilag which is a federal school being funded by the same federal govt, Will have any negative effect on the performance or quality of students then that would have been a very good ground for protests. But to take to the street simply because a name was changed which changes neither quality or price to Me is simply childish.
I tried asking some students why they are protesting and not one could give me any sensible reason other than they don't like the sound of the name, now that's absurd.

So my friend untill the senate or whoever is the first responder reacts we cannot say if he consulted them or not.
have we even considered that this might be a political ploy to divert peoples attention from actually judging the govt. On a day like the democratic day? And we have all started screaming foul play without second thought.
We need to learn how to pick our battles, if we must fight then let's channel our energies and resources into better engaging and imminent problems rather than fight useless battles.
I see no wrong in what the president has done. But then again it is my own opinion.

yd849ja: This only goes to show how unintelligent the likes of Rueben Abati, Pius and co. really are. These are supposedly his advicers. It's a shame this nation has finally gone to the dogs. How unearth would they have allowed him to make this blunder. Institutions of higher learning are not political toys that you switch their names as you so desire. They are status of heritage and they are historically positioned to tell us how far we have come development wise. No idiot there toys around with Oxford, Cambridge, Havard, etc. More so GEJ you are not a military president that you can unilaterally make such decision. You require nation wide consultation for such move. I therefore call on the National assembly to reverse this silly mistake. Can someone tell Jonathan Goodluck that University of Lagos was established by an act of Parliament in 1962 and the name can only be change through an amendment to that act. I think this president is being chased by the shadow of military mentality. Let us challenge this act of illegality in the court of law.

Do people in thi country think at all. Oxford cambridge etc reside in a country that has been a democracy for over 300 hundred years. We just fought for our democracy 20 years ago and people died because of it. Abiola was one of them. If the military had not been removed when they were this counctry would have been engulfed in the kind of horrendrous chaous that consumed Sierra Leone and Liberia where violence became the only means of removing despots. That was the warning of the Orkar coup. If a civl war of the Liberia variety had descended on this country thos idiots now protesting on campus would not be in school they would be child soldiers in the bush.

The school does not belong to the students it belongs to the people who respect the sacrifiecs MKO made. If UNILAG students doubt me let them carry their protest from their campus to nearby Bariga or shomolu - there will be no need for police - the people in these areas would discipline them on their own.

Unilag was built with the peoples money not the priavte funds of the students parents. If they want an eleitist education let them go to Oxford and cambridge. In Nigeria a poor and underdeveloped country our culture must reflect the sacrifices of tho0se who have paid the supreme sacrifice to bring us where we are.

If they are not happy tough. the masses are not complaining

GEJ is the greatest mistake dat has happened to Nigeria. How many sch's will be renamed after MKO??
I guess u are all aware of MAPOLY(Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta) Is dt nt enough Abi MKO nw deserves a sch in every state

Its like some ppl just read the topic of a thread, open d thread and immediately click on reply without reading Op's article. Smh!

Even the learned ones applauding d move say its clearly not in accordance with provisions under law.

Good lucks's action is so absurd,it doesn't depict academy excellence at all,n those rubber stamp politician supporting this illicit gesture shd go ahead,the earth will reject them!!! Good luck go back to school,u have failed us.

Good lucks's action is so absurd,it doesn't depict academy excellence at all,n those rubber stamp politicians supporting this illicit gesture shd go ahead,the earth will reject them!!! Good luck go back to school,u have failed us.

Guys here are probably going to wish like having my head for this but then i have learnt to speak the truth even when it leads to your death and be up right with the GOD i serve.
We all know here that the whole wahala with the UNILAG renaming has to do with the students’ perceived loss of the so called "SWAGGER". I am particularly disappointed with the way and manner students went about rampaging even to the extent of blocking the 3rd mainland bridge. Lets ask this question, what’s in a name? yes a name identifies a man but cannot and will not make a man. I am yet to see UNILAG Student some out to protest the ill funding of education in the Nation's budget! I am yet to see to see the UNILAG students come to protest the rising cost of living! SO what’s in a name that made them go MAD?
Even with the UNILAG certificates are they assured of getting jobs after school? Even the dullards amongst them came out to protest the name change! At least if the Boys are not sensible shouldn’t the babes be? the stigma associated with an average UNILAG babe is nothing to write home about and i strongly feel that they can ride on the MAU name to change that....... just thinking..
I believe 80% of nairalander reading this has got BB....take a look at all posts, pictures that were associated with the name change? they are yet to give one cogent reason against the name change.... okay UNILAG was established as an act of parliament right>? What kind of system do we run now? PRESIDENTIAL ........figure out the rest. What supersedes what?
I perceive that the problem really lies in the existing MAPA.... i have been trying to imagine MAULag without MAPA existing... they feel they are on the same pedestrian with a poly graduate right? Hello.... the school you went to get your certificate remains useless till you've gotten a job with the so called certificate you got......
I am not supporting the FG neither am i against the student but rather it will be better for the students to have taken the matter to court to settle it..... instead of disrupting the peace of Lagos..... Okay UNILAG is an established university so tell me what makes a UNILAG graduate better than a TASUED graduate? or even Adekunle Ajasin University graduate...... All Bsc holders are equal.....
Thank you for reading (if u did

Plssssss,plsssss and please some people are posting maulag alongside cambridge n oxford.the first nigerian varsity on international rating list is Unilorin wic is bout 6000 and smtin on the list so wat is all these'brand and international recognition'poo all even skuls like university of cape town,liberia,cairo,etc are scared to der bones wen u mention those names.u'r posting maulag.all this students shud chill jare there's nothing like quality in mau just name,party,aristo,cultism and paying your way to get admitted.

I have taken my time to read through the letter written by the Abiola family and cannot but appreciate the fact that for every matter bothering on human interactions, we are bound to see it differently. This said difference is either informed by our understanding of life and the said matter or family background and upbringing.

I would not venture into reacting directly to the words of their letter which in my own opinion squarely represents their views and I totally respect it. Afterall, we have different attachment to the man in question, Bashorun MKO Abiola.

I would rather attempt to look at the issue in my own perspective which I have already come to realise is shared by quite a number of individuals. I have tried hard to talk to some of my friends on this matter and canvas for a proper analysis of the renaming of UniLAG and its attendant implication on our democracy and unity as a people.

For all I care, I didn't follow MKO Abiola nor subscribe to his heroic feat because he's Kola or Lola or Deji's father, I did because as I grew up, I came to understand the importance of his sacrifice to our currently mismanaged democracy.

If the Abiolas choose to go by the “half a loaf is better than none” way of over blowing this 'honour', so be it. It doesn't stand in my way as an ardent follower of political developments in Nigeria to posit that the honour does more harm to MKO than good.

It is very important to separate issues so that points are not muddled up. The whole essence at the end of the day is to ensure that we all understand the need for honour to be given to whom it's due without abusing the institution the man had died for.

I would also like to point out how unfortunate the reaction of UniLAG student is but not without giving it a fair judgment of historical appreciation. How many of these kids have a thorough understanding of the postures of MKO Abiola pre and post 1993 before he was eventually murdered under one of the world most dreaded conspiracy. Second, UniLAG is that school where student activists have gone ahead to burn down the VC's lodge and other buildings claiming that the Dean of Students' Affairs killed the Students' Union Public Relations Officer over the phone through black magic popularly called 'APETA' in Yoruba. Summing all of these, I have personally seen a great departure from the days of Sowore in UniLAG. That said, we also cannot but agree that there is so much energy and passion within the student community making it very convenient to push them around. I truly feel sorry for them especially having to confront policemen over an issue they truly don't understand its workings.

Back to my point; in this renaming saga, 2 things are involved; whether or not MKO deserves to be honoured and then the honour itself.

Number one is straight forward! For reasons a lot of people and even his family members have quoted and for reasons we all cannot run away from, he deserves to be honoured over and over again.

On the honour itself, if we choose to see it as half a loaf, there is no point going any further. Obasanjo had refused to honour this man for the whole of his 8 years as the President, he even refused to have the Abuja stadium named after Abiola nor ever mentioned his name once in all of his national broadcasts; so for GEJ to have thought of this, we should sing hosanna and endorse him for 2015 is quite laughable.

Quoting freely from the submission of Barrister Jiti Ogunye, a submission my standpoint is in tandem with:
"First, let us deal with the statutory power of President Jonathan to rename UniLAG, if any. UniLAG is a federal government institution, and cursorily, it may appear that the President, being the head of Nigeria and head of the Federal Executive Branch of Government possesses the powers to rename any federal institution, including an academic institution, solely owned and funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria. As the law stands today, the President does not have the power to rename the University. The University of Lagos Act, Cap. U9, Volume 15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, was made, by Decree No 3 of 1967, which came into effect on 1st April, 1967, and is deemed to be an Act that was duly made by the National Assembly, was so made “to provide for the establishment and incorporation of the University of Lagos, and to make a comprehensive provision for its due administration”. Section 1(1& 2) of the Act provides that “ there is hereby established a University to be known as the University of Lagos to provide courses of instruction and learning in the faculties of arts, law, medicine, science, education, commerce and business, administration, engineering, and any other faculties which may , from time to time, be approved under the Act; and ‘ the University shall be a body corporate and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal”
Thus, the name-University of Lagos- is a creation of an Act that was made by the National Assembly of Nigeria. This being so, the name can only be changed by a legislative enactment, amending the University of Lagos Act, upon a bill to this effect being passed by both Houses of the National Assembly, and being assented to by the President. If the President declines to assent, by vetoing such a bill, the two Chambers of the National Assembly may override the President’s veto and pass into law the bill amending the Act. In the light of the foregoing explanation, the name change that the President purported to have effected in his broadcast today, (May 29, 2012: emphasis and date addition is mine), is illegal, null and void and of no effect. That change of name is tantamount to usurping the legislative powers of the National Assembly."

It is very unlikely that Abiola would be glad that he is honoured by a process that abuses the institution he died for considering the power separation clause in the Nigeria Constitution.

Secondly, the renaming seems more like making an ethnic nonsense of the feat of MKO. All he stood for was not about being a South Westerner or an Egba man. He struggled and died for what is today being enjoyed by us all. So, the UniLAG choice localises all of these. Relying on my first point and the articulate submission of Barrister Ogunye, Mr. President wouldn't have needed the National Assembly to rename Aso Rock Villa, National Stadium, Abuja or the Federal Secretariat Abuja after Bashorun MKO. This would have represented a more national perspective and also save the injury of power abuse.

Subtly, is renaming the priority of UniLAG as an institution? I'd say No! UniLAG, like every other institution needs to have teaching, learning and living conditions improved upon and not renaming. This action has very little or almost no effect on the betterment of the institution. Mr. President should also have been fair enough not because he needs their consent, give a heads-up to the authorities of the school about the impending change of name. This is about inclusion in policy making. I'm also tempted to posit that a school just recovering from the sudden demise of a serving Vice Chancellor needs a level of pamper and not hard knocks.

Most importantly is the fact that this honour as renaming seem to represent is a far cry from what Bashorun MKO deserves. Mr. President should not cheaply cash into the mindlessness of Chief Obasanjo at the detriment of the merit of Abiola's sacrifice. The only full honour anyone can do is to correct the wrong that was done to Bashorun Abiola and by extension all Nigerians living or dead who stood strongly by the 1993 mandate. This is indeed a huge task but it truly would've helped set the records straight. Mr. President fell short of the posture of someone prepared for such task when he referred to Abiola as a "presumed winner" of the June 12 election. He probably has lost track of history or attempting to pass a polite insult. The elections of Saturday, June 12, 1993 by every standard represents the freest and fairest elections ever conducted on the soil of this country and we are all witness to the fact that Abiola's victory spoke volume and crushed ethnical and religious barriers unlike the pattern recorded in the 2011 elections. To tag such victory as "presumed" is selfish and embarrassing.
The honour Abiola deserves is to be posthumously recognised as a President of this country and have his picture and name included in the history books of Nigeria’s Past Presidents. The mandate he got was and is worth more than the 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 watershed mandates put together. Then, celebrating June 12 as the true Democracy day would've been the icing on the cake of honour. It would even have been enough if Mr. President made the move by passing such a bill down to the Legislature for adoption. Anything short of this is in my opinion less attractive.

The failure to follow the due process in renaming UniLAG equally calls for concern. Nigeria wouldn't have gone to war if the pronouncement wasn't made on May 29. For a man who had full access to the Minister of Justice for advice, who had his personal lawyers, party lawyers and advisers on legal matters, I can't but be forced to submit that this decision was an afterthought. Someone somewhere should've guided him and helped him understand the dangers in such pronouncements. It wasn’t life threatening even though the true honour Abiola deserves is long overdue.

The greatest undoing of Mr. President is that he has reduced himself to such a level that an average Nigerian doesn't see anything good coming from him owing to his public utterances and goofs on matters of national interest especially security. One can therefore begin to understand why it was convenient for students to take to the street without a proper understanding of what was involved. So long it's a pronouncement of Mr. President; something about it has to be wrong.

In conclusion, I sincerely find it understandable for the Family to accept the renaming as a well deserved honour considering for how long they have waited. I am just not comfortable with the whole Abiola struggle being privatised by the family. So, in the long run, it is not for them to mistake their agreement with the move as a de facto decision all Nigerians must applaud. Also introducing the issue of 2015 as a reason for protesting the ’honour’ is very unfortunate. The Abiola family of today cannot mobilise a fraction of the crowd of 1993 and as it stands don't even represent a formidable force within the Nigeria political equation; hence, assuring GEJ of any support whether now or towards 2015 is only a way of showing appreciation for what they see as a personal gift to the family.

The legacies of Abiola shall remain so long as we are able to keep our democracy in order and one day, we shall have a leader whose emergence would help right the wrongs and injustices suffered by the true heroes of democracy. Then they shall be properly honoured and kept in the rightful place in the book of history. Until then, the struggle continues.

Long live Nigeria.