This is definitely not the best of times for the University of Lagos (UNILAG). As Transport & Business Expresswent to press, academic activities were on hold at the revered institution but that was only one of UNILAG’s latest troubles.

In what might as well have been a harbinger of the bad days ahead, UNILAG had suddenly lost its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe, on May 12. Prof. Sofoluwe, an expert in computer science, was in office for less than two and a half years, having been appointed VC on January 30, 2010 to succeed Prof. Tolu Odugbemi upon the completion of his tenure. The 62 years old Sofoluwe had slumped during a meeting at the UNILAG Senate Chambers on Friday night, May 11. After fruitless efforts to resuscitate him, he was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, where he was later confirmed dead. He was buried May 31 and has been succeeded in acting capacity by the Deputy VC, Prof. Rahman Ade-Bello.

The UNILAG community was still mourning Prof. Sofoluwe when Chief E.A Bassey, a lecturer in the Creative Arts Department of the school, died on Saturday evening, May 19, while watching the finals of the 2012 European Champions League between Chelsea and Bayern Munich in his house. Like Sofoluwe, Bassey was said to have died of cardiac arrest.

But the proverbial last straw was the renaming of UNILAG by President Goodluck Jonathan. Without any prior hint, Jonathan in his broadcast in the morning of May 29 to mark this year’s Democracy Day had announced the change of the school from the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAULAG).

According to Jonathan, “After very careful consideration, and in honour of Chief M.K.O. Abiola’s accomplishments and heroism, on this Democracy Day, the University of Lagos, is renamed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, Moshood Abiola University, Lagos. The Federal Government will also establish an Institute of Democratic Studies and Governance in the University.”

The president’s otherwise good gesture was however promptly and strongly resisted by the UNILAG community – from the students to the staff and even the Parents Forum.

While other aggrieved stakeholders stopped at either verbal condemnation or litigation (as in the case of the academic staff), UNILAG students took the laws into their hands, pouring into the streets in demonstration against the name change. “We don’t want MAU!” they chanted, describing the name change as “unconstitutional” since UNILAG was created by an Act of Parliament.

Speaking for the academic staff, Dr. Karo Ogbunaka, UNILAG ASUU Chairman, said: “The protest against the renaming of UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University is both for students and lecturers of the institution. At a time like this when we are sorrowful and aggrieved for our late VC, President Jonathan is adding more sorrow to us by changing our name. University of Lagos is a big brand. It is the first university established by parliament in Nigeria.”

The university authorities had no other choice than to close down the school when the protests continued, with the students storming the Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway as well as the Third Mainland Bridge to register their anger.

“In view of the recent developments on our campuses, the Senate of the University has directed that all academic activities be suspended forthwith for two weeks. Accordingly, all students are to vacate the Halls of Residence, latest by 11.00 a.m. today, May 30, 2012,” a statement by the school authorities said.

While many of the students obeyed the order, many others defied it until the police forcibly chased them away on June 2, firing teargas to disperse the students, who replied by throwing bottles and stones at the security men and their vehicles. A female student, Miss Funmi Ayodele, 22, of the English Department, fainted after a policeman sprayed teargas in her face but was later revived.

The students have since changed tactics by going to court. Jonathan, however, appeared to have made up his mind on the matter. In a June 6 letter sent to the Senate, the President asked for approval to rename UNILAG in honour of Abiola University, the Federal University of Technology Umudike to Michael Okpara University Umudike, and Federal University of Technology Yola to Modibbo Adama University. The ball is now in the courts of the Senate and the law courts.

Update news