Unilag To Maulag: What Is In A Name?

It promised to be a day of reminiscencing over thirteen years of a chequered democratic experience. However, the presidency and his cohorts had other ideas. President Goodluck Jonathan stirred the hornet nest when he vehemently announced that the famous University of Lagos, Akoka, will now be known as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos. In his estimation, this was to serve as a means of immortalizing the late sage. However, thanks to social media, the news went viral within seconds and fierce reactions have since greeted the gesture. Many argue that it is the peak of foolhardiness to take such a drastic decision without informimg all relevant 'stakeholders', connected to the citadel. A more critical view by the cynics is that, changing the nomecleture of a university, whose name has become a brand in the continent, is a sheer case of bad judgement. For the sake of a rehash, protests have since sparked off in the school. A bulk of the it's students and even alumni, cannot just come to the terms with the daunting reality that their most cherished 'Unilag' will no longer be. The conspiracy theorists argue that this was a delibrate attempt to undermine the notoriety of Lagos ever growing influence. So much for a name. However logical these arguements may sound, one should not lose sight of the fact that the university is a federal government property, and they hold the power to name and rename the institution. Moreover, history's wrath will visit anyone that believes that Moshood Abiola is not worth the honour. Suffice it to say, many have used this avenue to open up a can of worms against Jonathan's presidency. Be it Unilag or Maulag, what is in a name? Unfortunately, we live in a clime where we put so much attention on shadows, and lose the substance. Having said that, the Jonathan presidency is not without blemish. It is pathetic that he specializes in doling out critical surprises. In this issue, the sane thing to have done was to consult everyone concerned. Instead, like in the removal of fuel subsidy on January 1st, he acted in a dictatoral form. Whoever his advisers are, they are doing a wonderful job in demeaning his popularity and making a caricature of his already soiled image.