Abiola’s son shocked by protest over UNILAG honor
The family of the late Chief MKO Abiola, on Tuesday said that they were ecstatic over the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as the Moshood Abiola University.
President Goodluck Jonathan had in a broadcast to the nation to commemorate Democracy Day announced the renaming of the institution after Abiola.
Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 1993 presidential elections, was honoured for his contributions to democracy in Nigeria.
In a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Abdul Abiola, son of the late politician said there was nothing wrong with the naming of the university after his father.
``We are shocked by the reactions trailing this development. My late father believed so much in education.
``He donated money to universities across the nation. Naming a university after him was a well-deserved honour," he said.
According to Abiola, the renaming is just one way of honouring and immortalising him.
``He should still be given more honors. We see nothing political in this.
``We are happy about it and we are yet to understand the rationale behind people going up in arms over this," he added.
He must really be a fool..... Should that be a priority? Dis country is doomed. Spar
ReplyDeleteThe protest carries no weight and it is uncalled for. It was organised by people with shallow minds. Apart from the fact that Mko deserves the honour, FGN owns the school and same FGN renames it. The students involved really dissapointed me. Mike
ReplyDeleteFor all I care..., A polytechnic in Abeokuta.., Ojere to be precise has already been named after MKO Abiola, so why name another after him.?
ReplyDeleteI think Abiola should have been immortalized a long time, and Jonathan (a non-westerner) doing so should have been applauded.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is a disconnect as the new generation (teens and youths) do not know Abiola, and see no reason why a renowned University should be named after him. Comparing Abiola to Lamidi Adedibu in the Blackberry messages i recieved yesterday speaks of this magnanimous ignorance.....
pple always 4get d past soon,why protest sometimes good breed may come 4rm black pot,even if we are dissapointed by Jonathan administration dis naming of FG university under its control is good irrespective of its motives.firstly Abiola is 4rm southwest and unilag is located in southwest where else dou think he could b honoured.let us b rational
ReplyDeleteThis is a well deserved honour, my people there should not be course for riot over this, we have Obafemi Awolowo University, We Amadu Bello University, we Have Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ambrose Ali University and others like that, if the Federal Govt, at this point decides to rename Unilag as MAU, this is a welcome development, he (Abiola)deserved it, this one of the ways of immortalising our leaders/heroes, it happens everywhere around the global.Dear Nigerians we should all rejoice over this and not rioting about it,
ReplyDeleteFellow country men & women, Jonathan has no agenda 4this country,he is such a confused leader not knowin what to do may God help this Nigeria.Instead of re-naming UNILAG after MKO Abiola,what does it takes FG to build a new university in a popular place like Abuja and name it after him? they are there shearing the money in billions afteror,all law makers are ROGUES
ReplyDeleteMost people are ignorant and prone to manipulation,GEJ has done well naming UNILAG-MOU.come 2015 who are we going to vote for is it the people who have been killing innocent nigerians to get to that office? OR GEJ? Nigerians will decide.
ReplyDeleteI see no reason why a polytechnic and a University should be named after him...........OGUN STATE POLYTECHNIC was named after him....as MOSHOOD ABIOLA POLYTECHNIC Ojere.
ReplyDeleteMike or what ever you call yourself, have you looked at the state of the nation? what would changing the name of the school help the state of our dear nation? I do not think naming the school after MKO will bring him any special favors. he should focus on the issues at hand than act the fool to please a few people and offend many. He has failed Nigerians and he should live out the rest of his term in peace and not upset any more abeg. I didn't go to Unilag but i know that there are more important things he should be thinking about than MKO (no offence to his family)
ReplyDeleteMKO deserve this honour,we all should stop being all unnecessary comment that wont help us.This so call premier university has no name before.Univerrsity of Lagos is not a name.The University just got a name 29/5/2012.I think if not for anything this man (GEJ) need to be praise for this observation.Just to aknowledge a university without a name existing in NNigeria.University of Lagos is not a state university so it must be named. From Jacobian Abuja
ReplyDeleteThe democracy we are all enjoying today, stemmed from MKO. He laid his life for it. Students of UNILAG acted before thinking. All right thinking Nigerians should rise and condemn their actions.
ReplyDeletesince the country wants to remember Abiola always it is better had of we rename Nigeria,Federal Republic Of Abiola.Shame to you Mr GEJ. DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE SO CALLED ABIOLA or does he knows you? why trying to campaigner from now? you cant buy the hrt of people by so doing. who even gave you GEJ doctor? a doctor with no vision and good education.i will rather you just act under the vice president instead of the president ok.
ReplyDeleteThe renaming of Unilag after MKO Abiola is constitutionally wrong, as the National Assembly Act which created Unilag was completely ignored. Besides, why name two Tertiary Institutions after him. The motive behind the change of name is very questionable.
ReplyDeleteI believe a better way to immortalize the great man is to rename the Eagle Square in Abuja after him, as the square is synonymous with democracy.
MOU or what??? Memorandum Of Understanding as a replacement for Unilag? Jonathan should be joking. I hope this man is not trying to generate or creating more problems for himself and the nation.
ReplyDeletethis is a shocking development to me. When the University of Nigeria was renamed Nnamdi Azikiwe University, there was no noise. The same applied to Obafemi Awolowo University.I do not see anything wrong with this decision of the government.I believe our heroes deserve better respect. People are so shallow minded, and/or do not keep up with events that shaped or affected our country.This is deeply regrettable.
ReplyDeleteIf Unilag was renamed as Thomas White university, or some "tush" "efizish" oyinbo name, I know the students wouldn't have minded. Nigerians will always be Nigerians, pushing away their cultural heritage. To be frank with u guys all i can see in this noise is d fact that the students feel the name "Moshood Abiola" is too razz, local or "untush" for d "prestious" name Unilag.RUBBISH!!!
ReplyDeletethe whole nigerians stand against fuel subsidy which is a calamity to the nation but (GEJ)doesnt change his mind.so i wonder why mau student are wasting there time when it is very clear to them that nothing would be done.aminu adamu abbas
ReplyDeleteNobody is against the re-naming to MAU but the timing is really very wrong cum with its lacking of legal backing. Has Jonathan taggled the issue of InSecurity in this state of nigeria. He had better get qualitative advisers if he can not think rightly.
ReplyDeletei can sense sheer ignorance in this place. OAU was a regional university and Awolowo was part of the visioneers, there couldnt be a protest because it was a militray decree. People like soyinka reacted negatively to this. UNILAG was estalished by an ACT OF PARLIAMENT, you need to go through the senate to annul that. The senate already passed a bill to name the national stadium in Abuja after him, GEJ should simply activate that. UNILAG is known to be the nations pride, its a brand and it was built over the years with consistency.Naming that scholl after him, is an offence to the erudite scholars in that school. You dont just wake up one morning and rename HAVARD after Martin Luther King or Cambridge after queen Elizbeth. Please, at least, GEJ should have followe due process. I exopect the Abiola Family to know better. This is pure politics and why UNILAG of all schools. Why cant they name one of the new universities after him. If you name National Stadium Abuja After him, his name will never be erased. dont forget football is a unifying factor in Nigeria.Please let reason prevail.
ReplyDeleteplease dont forget UNN resisted a name change too, IMSU's name was changed and it was later reverted back. People are emotionally tired to that school. In my Sector, when a white man hears the name UNILAG he respects you. Even if you want to change it, let it be ademocratic process. Please GEJ
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