by Rachel Ogbu

This will come as good news to many as yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan withdrew the name change of the University of Lagos which he renamed Moshood Abiola University. In a May 29 broadcast to mark the 2012 Democracy Day, President Jonathan had announced to rename the school in honour of Moshood Abiola, who died in jail as a political prisoner in 1998.

But yesterday, chairman, Governing Council of University of Lagos, Jerry Gana said during his inauguration alongside three others by the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai in Abuja that the president had sustained the Constitution by reversing the change of name of the university. “This is a pointer to the fact that the current administration is committed to entrenching democracy and justice in the country.’’

Gana, responding on behalf of the four councils, said they would ensure that the universities’ communities settled down in peace as for months, the name change issue has been at the centre of protests and a recent court ruling might have suggested the name change was illegal.

“I assure you that we will do our best to be fair, just and honourable in the discharge of our duties,” he said.

The Vanguard reports:

The other governing councils inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, were for the University of Benin, ObafemiAwolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife and Michael Opara University of Agriculture, Umudike.

Their Chairmen are Sen. Bob Dickson, Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Anya O. Anya respectively. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Sen. Uche Chukwumerijie said the lawmakers’ job had been made easier by the appointments.

Chukwumerijie said the committee’s oversight visits to the institutions had identified lack of leadership by the absence of governing councils and the quality of members of the boards as challenges facing the institutions.

He said the Federal Government had by the appointments taken care of the issues. “There are councils for those that did not have and the members who have been appointed are men and women of proven integrity and experience in academics.’’ The lawmaker described the appointees as round pegs in round holes and the right captains in the ship.

Chukwumerijie charged the councils to immediately tackle falling standards of education, corruption, cultism and many ills that had continued to affect the development of education. The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, said no university could function effectively without a governing council.

Okojie urged government to consider training and retreat for members to enable them to keep abreast of global best practices in university administration. He also advocated financial autonomy for universities in the country.