Abiola’s family hails FG for changing UNILAG TO MAULAG

Two daughters of the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, have lauded the renaming of the University of Lagos after the late business mogul.

Abiola’s first child, Lola Abiola-Edewor, and Hafsat Abiola-Costello said the Federal Government should be commended for recognising the contribution of the late politician to the return of democracy in Nigeria.

Abiola-Edewor, however, condemned the protest by some students against the decision by the Federal Government to name UNILAG after her late father.

The two-time member of the National Assembly, who spoke through her Media Assistant in Abeokuta, Mr. Akin Alade, stated that President Goodluck Jonathan should rather be commended for deeming it fit to honour Abiola who had long been denied his rightful place in the annals of Nigerian democracy.

She said, "Nigerians had demanded several times that MKO be immortalised. What I cannot understand though is how renaming of UNILAG has generated such a controversy. University of Ife was renamed OAU and it has remained."

Abiola-Costello on her part said the honour done her late father through the renaming of UNILAG was long overdue.

"It was the right step in the right direction. It is long overdue but most importantly government should tackle poverty in the land," she added.

Speaking in the same vein, a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo described the development as a "fulfilment of the rule of law."

She said, "He was the only Nigerian that was accepted by the people throughout the country in the 1993 elections. Though he ran with another Muslim, people did not complain.

"It would have been done before now during the time of former President Olusegun Obasanjo but the memo was not signed by him then."

Also, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Adolphous Karibi Whyte, has hailed the decision.

Karibi-Whyte said renaming the university after Abiola who died defending his mandate to rule Nigeria indicated a high level of patriotism on the part of the President.

"It shows that the President appreciated the efforts and contributions of the late Abiola to nation building."

The Chairman of Rivers State chapter of the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Chika Onuegbu, called on Jonathan to send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly following the change in name of UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University.

He said, "My expectation is that the President will follow up his pronouncement with an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, seeking to amend the University of Lagos Act to give legal backing to the proposed change to Moshood Abiola University."

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Afenifere Renewal Group, Mr. Olawale Oshun, and a chief of the Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on Tuesday commended Jonathan for immortalising Abiola by renaming UNILAG after him.

In separate interviews with our correspondent, Oshun, who described the renaming as a welcome development, said it would have been much welcome if the FG had named an institution in the Federal Capital Territory after the deceased businessman.

Adebanjo while commending the President for the decision noted that by the action, Jonathan showed he was reflecting on the wishes of the people to recognise Abiola for eternity.

He said, "What about Obasanjo (Olusegun) who was there for eight years and did nothing."