I have watched with keen interest the raging debate over the May 29
announcement by President Goodluck Jonathan renaming the University of
Lagos, Akoka (UNILAG), as Moshood Abiola University. The decision by the
president was made to honour the hero of our present democracy, Chief
Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who won the June 12, 1993 presidential
election but was denied the opportunity to exercise the mandate freely
given to him by the Nigerian people.
My interest in the debate is best understood by the fact that though
Chief Abiola is a nationalist whose popularity and support base
transcended Ogun State where he hailed from and where I happen to be
presently serving as governor, I also had the privilege of representing
his senatorial district, Ogun Central, in the Senate between 2003 and
2007. I therefore feel obliged to contribute my own viewpoint to the
debate.
For some obvious reasons, any honour done to Abiola’s memory should not
generate any controversy. There is, in my view, a national consensus
that he made the supreme sacrifice to enable us have democratic
government. His decision not to fold his arms after the unjust annulment
of the results of a free and fair election jolted the nation and called
world attention to our situation in Nigeria. He mobilised our people to
stand for their democratic rights to choose their leaders. In the
process, he and one of his wives, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, died in
controversial circumstances. The nature of his nationwide support as
exemplified by the results of the annulled election also indicated that
it was not impossible to build a national mandate, even in Nigeria, with
our different diversities. It is unfortunate that some of the positive
and patriotic symbolisms derivable from that election were not allowed
to be entrenched in our system.
It should also be stated at this point that one of the greatest
constituencies which formed the pillar of support for Bashorun Abiola
during the pre and post June 12 1993 election was the university
population. The students solidly voted for Abiola and were constantly on
the streets to protest the annulment of the election. We should also
remember that student bodies at various levels had demanded that Abiola
should be honoured by the Federal Government to immortalise him and
institutionalise the ideas and ideals that he lived for.
While Abiola was alive, he was arguably the greatest donor to the cause
of developing the university system. These facts therefore help to put
the various arguments on the renaming of UNILAG in a proper context. I
have read opinions by students and lecturers in UNILAG who stated that
they were not opposed to Abiola being honoured but they were unhappy
about the manner and the choice of honour done in his memory by
President Jonathan. The students, their lecturers, alumni of the
university as well as their supporters believe they ought to have been
consulted before the announcement. They further argued that the
announcement came as a disruption to the then on-going mourning period
for their late vice chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Sofoluwe, another
prominent son of Ogun State and Abeokuta, like Abiola. Some of them also
canvassed that Abiola could have been honoured by renaming other
national institutions like the National Stadium in Abuja or the National
Theatre in Lagos in his memory. These arguments make me to conclude
that the controversy is just a question of form and not substance.
Therefore, the question is not whether the man, MKO, deserves to be
honoured. While I respect the emotional attachment all the past and
present great Akokites, and their lecturers attach to the name UNILAG, I
want to plead with them as well as call their attention to the fact
that what made UNILAG and its products great is not only the name.
Rather, it is the quality of teaching, learning and research, the
creativity, ingenuity and innovation for which the institution is known
across the globe. Renaming the institution will definitely not change or
demean any of these qualities. It can only enhance them. Abiola himself
represented brilliance in our leadership. He represented ability of a
Nigerian to conquer poverty. He represented entrepreneurship, the
decision and determination by one man to uplift his society by
conquering the challenges posed by his environment and background.
Abiola was one tree that arguably made the forest.
It is my belief that UNILAG under its new name will continue to grow
like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell and other world renowned
universities renamed after individuals, once we are all determined to
sustain its greatness and support its development. Even if we retain the
name UNILAG and refuse to do what is needed for the growth of the
institution, God forbid, it will turn into a source of shame to all of
us.
It is with this conviction that I, on behalf of the good people of Ogun
State, commend President Jonathan for hearkening to the voice of
Nigerians to give national recognition to the role played by Basorun
Abiola in entrenching democracy in Nigeria. He has chosen to honour a
true hero of our democracy. I am sure all democrats who appreciate the
gains we have made in the last 13 years of the longest democratic era in
our country will support the fact that we can do with positive
symbolisms to celebrate our tortuous journey to where we are today.
However, while one sincerely appreciates the positive gesture of
President Jonathan, I want to urge the president to go the whole hog and
give Abiola the ultimate recognition and honour. The president should
immediately commence consultation with the National Assembly towards
declaring a national public holiday in honour of Abiola. In doing this,
President Jonathan may declare June 12 as a national public holiday. In
the alternative, Abiola’s birthday or even the day he died may be
considered.
Declaring a day in honour of Abiola will help to etch his memory in the
minds of present and future generations of Nigerians who will be
spurred and inspired to want to know about the importance of the man to
our country. Many years down the line, Nigerians who were not around
when the June 12 election took place will be compelled to ask question
about who Abiola was and his significance in our national history. They
will then know about how the man abandoned the comfort that his money
could guarantee to seek to offer public service. They will equally learn
that Abiola galvanised Nigerians to resist repression when some
anti-democratic forces sought to stifle and stultify his noble goal.
I believe President Jonathan has started well on the journey to right
the wrongs in our national history. History will be kind to him for this
big initiative but he needs to conclude this positive beginning and
consummate the process to immortalise a man who died while protecting
the integrity of this nation and her people by declaring a public
holiday in his honour. In the final analysis, as the lawyer will say,
this should be substance over form.
•Amosun, a chartered accountant, is governor of Ogun State.
Culled From Thisday (thisdaylive.com)
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