By Charles Adingupu
Within the matrix of African cosmology, a name has connotations. Hence, children were named following the circumstances surrounding their birth. A child born on a Sunday in Yoruba land could be named Bose. In Igbo land, a child whose birth heralded progress in the family may be called Ngozi, which means blessing.  The story is the same among the Hausa speaking people of Nigeria .

Similarly, for the catholic faithful,children were baptized in the names whose birth coincided with the feast of a saint . For instance, a child born during the celebration of the feast of Saint Anthony would be so named if the baby is a male child . Conversely ,if its a female child ,the new born baby would be named Anthonia.

Democracy Day Gift for UNILAG student; A Peaceful protest by University of Lagos student , at Yaba Roundabout, over the re-naming the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University on Tuesday 29-5-2012, in Lagos. PHOTO; Kehinde Gbadamosi

But these were outside the considerations of President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent unilateral decision to rename the 50 years  old university of Lagos to Moshood Abiola university. The President’s decision,   no doubt ,fell short of logical reason . Hear him :after very careful considerations and recognition of late Chief MKO Abiola’s accomplishments and heroism on this democracy day,the university of Lagos is renamed by the federal government of Nigeria, Moshood Abiola University;he stated in a tone of finality.

This blanket declaration stirred the hornest’s nest as students of the university of Lagos shortly after the announcement  took to the street to protest their displeasure over the sudden change in name of the institution. And in a swift reaction, daughter of the late politician, Mrs. Hasfat Abiola Costello urged the president to tackle more pressing development problems.’’what he,the president can do to honour the heroes past is to alleviate the suffering of the teeming masses.

Nigerian people are poor. Majority of them are so poor today and even more than they were in 1993 when late Chief MKO Abiola worn the election and I hope that President Jonathan can apply himself to addressing poverty in Nigeria. That is the most important thing more than renaming roads and schools.  Those things were nice but the true position of my father was that Nigerian people would not be poor anymore, ‘’she said

In the same vein, Nobel Laureat, Professor Wole Soyinka advised family of the late politician not to misconstrue the reactions of Nigerians towards the thankless gift of Mr. President. In a release captioned Goodluck Jonathan’s gift horse, the Nobel Laureat said “primary from all of us must be a plea to the MKO Abiola’s family not to misconstrue the protest against the naming of the University of Lagos after their heroic patriach.

Issues must be separated and understood in their appropriate contexts. The family will acknowledged that among the loudest opposing voices to Jonathan’s gift horse are those who have clamoured tirelessly that MKO Abiola, the Nigeria nation’s President elect be honoured nationally and in a befitting manner.’’

Also,the Director of the Coalition for Democracy and Good Governance, Jide Johnson enjoined the federal government to carry the people along in implementation of policies that directly or indirectly affect them. ‘’ Although, the late Chief Abiola was a national hero but Lagos has other indigenes who fought for democracy and national independence as the late Herbert Macaulay who was a renowned politician’,he noted .

Spokesman of the Save Nigerian Group(SNG), Yinka Odumakin deplored the manner in which president Jonathan went about the renaming of the university. While describing the president’s thankless gift as abuse of power, Odumakin noted that the university was established by law,adding that the president’s action amounted to violation of the principles and tenents of democracy.

Also,renowned Constitutional Lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay hailed the presidents effort to immortalize Chief Abiola but  added that  he, however, choose the wrong institution.  In his reaction, Head of Mass Communication Department of the University of Lagos, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye said the decision was a naked display of illegality and it amounted to political miscalculation.

He averred that the University of Lagos was established by Acts of Parliament in 1962.’’’Therefore ,the President would have consulted with the national assembly before arriving at such a decision’’, the varsity don posited .

The national president of the University of Lagos Alumni Association, Professor Olayide Abass criticised the decision,stating that neither the university governing council nor the university senate were consulted before the change was effected. The group, however, rejected the decision’, adding that its only the ‘national assembly that has the capacity to effect  such a change ‘’.

Similarly,the senior staff association of Nigeria universities UNILAG said the renaming of the institution was unnecessary. The association’s secretary, Mr. Ben Anosike called on the federal government to rethink its decision .

In his words,head,international law and jurisprudence of the University of Lagos, Professor Akin Oyebode said late Chief MKO Abiola deserved every honour  Nigeria can give him, but the President has reduced a man with such a national stature to ethnic political figure because he wants to win votes of the Yoruba people in 2015.

The varsity don said that the President would have named the national stadium after chief Abiola who was personally acknowledged as the Pillar of Sports in Africa.

He observed in dismay that to have named an institution of 50 years standing after MKO was provocative and a cheap shot.

“The President may have meant well but he has done a wrong thing that should be reversed immediately,” Oyebode said.

Reacting to the development, Human Right Activist, Bamidele Aturu said that nothing was wrong with the change of name of the university but it must be done with the approval of the university council.

Amid these conflicting signals from the president’s decision to rename the University of Lagos; the students of the institution still maintained their loud stance that President Jonathan must as a matter of urgency reverse the decision.