With
series of meetings and close door activities over the postponement of
the heroic Golden Jubilee Convocation Ceremonies, the authority of
the University of Lagos has set new dates for the ceremonies. The
dates are 7th,
8th
and 9th
of February, 2013. Presenting the dates to the President, the
authority gave him alternatives of choosing either towards the tail
end of January or early February and he chose the afforementioned
dates.
The fiasco over the change of nomenclature from
University of Lagos (UNILAG) to Moshood Abiola University (MAULAG)
was buried with the rejection of the bill by the House of
Representatives. With the throwing out of such move, the President
has no other alternative than to accept that the institution must
remain what it is, in deed and in truth.
The main headache of the Presidency is no longer to hold the convocation, it is now whether President
Jonathan will attend or not. Information from a reliable source
stated that the Presidency is really very worried over his attedance
because of irate students. Out of the three days scheduled for the
events, President Jonathan is likely to be present by the weekend
when most activities have been concluded and students will be scanty.
The representative of the President while speaking to
officials in the school downplayed the name-change saying it was just
an honour for a virile Nigerian, Moshood Abiola, and that the
President had no ulterior motive. The President himself was reported
to have communicated such to the University after his defeat. The
authority wants his presence so he can with his own mouth mention the
University's name in deed and in truth.
The President was playing, malingering and meadering
because he knew the University Council will soon be dissolved so his
calculation was to use that as a medium of delay but the University
authority took him back to history that the University had had a
convocation ceremony without the Council in a known distant past and
that still serve as a reference and precedent.
Two historical events will also be happening at the
ceremonies, for the first time in the history of University of Lagos,
the Vice Chancellor will be inaugurated. The known procedure before
is for the VC to be elected and work begins but now, the precedent of
official inauguration is to be laid. Moreso, the new Pro-chancellor
of the University, Jerry Gana will be inaugurated. The events are
specially constituted to honour the renowed, amiable and dedicated
Vice Chancellor, Professor Adetokunbo Babatunde Shofoluwe of blessed
memory. The university still waits for the appointment of a new
Chancellor after the demise of the erstwhile Chancellor, the Attah of
Igala.
The defeat of the President over the change of
nomenclature is a sign that reasoning backed up with action will go a
long way in checkmating the nefarious and obnoxious activities of the
worms called leaders in Nigeria nay Africa. All the citizens must do
especially those in the academics is to stand and defend the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment