Court Stops UNILAG Name Change

A Federal High Court sitting in  Lagos today granted an interim order restraining the Federal Government from renaming the University of Lagos. The order was granted by Justice Stephen Adah, while ruling in the suit brought against the May 29, 2012 renaming of the institution by the students and alumni of the University of Lagos. The court, however, advised the litigants to harmonise the suits into one and adjourned further hearing till 4July 2012.
Joined in the suit as defendants are UNILAG, the UNILAG Governing Council, the UNILAG Senate, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Assembly. President Goodluck Jonathan had last month renamed the University of Lagos after the late businessman and acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola. The renaming of the institution as Moshood Abiola University was greeted by protest by students and staff of the school. Others criticised the president for not following due process in renaming UNILAG. They insisted that the president should have consulted with the National Assembly before making the pronouncement.

President Jonathan has now sent a letter to the Senate, asking it to approve the renaming of the University of Lagos. The letter conveying the request was read on the floor of the Senate on 5 June when the plenary was kicked off by Senate President, David Mark. President Jonathan on Sunday during a presidential media chat with four journalists said that he did not breach the consititution of Nigeria in renaming the University of Lagos. He said the renaming the insitution is similar to the process through which the president can  declare a state of emergency before subjecting the matter before the National Assembly.