The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University
of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Jerry Gana has disclosed that President Goodluck
Jonathan has reversed the change of name of the University of Lagos which he
renamed Moshood Abiola University in a broadcast to mark the 2012 Democracy
Day.
Gana stated this yesterday in Abuja during his
inauguration alongside three others by the Minister of Education, Prof.
Ruqayyatu Rufai
The name change had led to legal action and protests from
students and alumni of the institution while a court recently ruled that the
change was illegal.
Gana, who hailed Jonathan for retaining the name of the
institution, added that the president had upheld the 1999 Constitution by
reversing the change of name of the university.
He said, "This is a pointer to the fact that the
current administration is committed to entrenching democracy and justice in the
country.’’
Gana, who was responding on behalf of the four councils,
said they would ensure that the universities’ communities settled down in
peace.
According to Gana, "I assure you that we will do our
best to be fair, just and honourable in the discharge of our duties and
promised effective leadership with integrity, honour and justice."
Gana also stated that members of the governing councils
would work according to the rules governing the institutions.
He further thanked Jonathan for the appointments and said
they would put in their best as Nigerians deserved nothing less.
The other governing councils inaugurated by Rufa’i were
for the University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Michael
Opara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Their Chairmen are Sen. Bob Dickson, Prof. Rowland
Ndoma-Egba and Prof. Anya O.Anya respectively.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Sen.
Uche Chukwumerijie said the lawmakers’ job had been made easier by the
appointments.
Chukwumerijie said the committee’s oversight visits to
the institutions had identified lack of leadership by the absence of governing
councils and the quality of members of the boards as challenges facing the
institutions.
He said, “There are councils for those that did not have
and the members who have been appointed are men and women of proven integrity
and experience in academics.’’
Chukwumerijie also urged the councils to
immediately tackle falling standards of education, corruption, cultism and many
ills that had continued to affect the development of education.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of
the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, said no university
could function effectively without a governing council.
Source: Leadership
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