On the 13th
year commemoration of the return of Nigeria back to democratic rule, precisely
on the 29th May, 2012, Nigerians woke up to the jolting announcement
by their Commander-in-Chief that the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been
renamed the Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAULAG). The manner of
presidential (or is it monarchical?)
fiat with which the christening was done brought back to mind, alas with bitter
nostalgia, the days of the uniformed men and goggled faces when orders were
given and decrees were carried out with utmost alacrity without due recourse to
existing laws nor to the prevailing mood and circumstances. It was a phase in
our history, where unpredictability was the order of the day and we basked in
the fear of the unknown.
All that seemed to
change with the advent of the 4th Republic on the 29th of
May, 1999. We rejoiced merely in the fact that our ‘head of state’ from then on
would no more subject us to the harrowing and traumatic experiences of
‘pleasant’ surprises, albeit the guiding arms of the rule ensured that all our
policies, decisions and proceedings are done in a responsible, respectable and
responsive manner. The presence of our 3 arms of government was meant to
function as a check and balance system that would not allow any arm of the
government to arbitrarily overrule the law and take decisions it considers best
in whoever’s interest and in the prevailing circumstances.
Alas, all that seemed
to reverse with the manner President Jonathan renamed the University of Lagos
which coincidentally would be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of her existence
this year. The University of Lagos, I am told is Nigeria’s first Federal
University, considering that others before her were established by Regional
Governments.
Immediately the
announcement was made, the Akokites, as the UNILAG students are famously known,
sprung out in protests against the name change of which the protests have led
to the institution being shut down for a 2 week forced leave. Many notable
Nigerians have commended the President for the noble gesture of honouring President Moshood Abiola, owing more to
the refusal of the greatest beneficiary of the ultimate price that MKO paid,
President Obasanjo, to accord him the honour in the 8 years he headed the
State. This commendation has however, attracted not a few knocks here and there,
especially for the choice of UNILAG as the sacrificial lamb.
While for most students
of MAULAG, their reason for protests is not farfetched as they are finding it
unusually hard being called Moshoodites,
MAULAGites, MAUites
