Abiola’s Family Happy Over Renaming Of University Of Lagos

The family of the late Chief MKO Abiola, on Tuesday said that they were ecstatic over the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as the Moshood Abiola University.

President Goodluck Jonathan had in a broadcast to the nation to commemorate Democracy Day announced the renaming of the institution after Abiola. Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 1993 presidential elections, was honoured for his contributions to democracy in Nigeria.

In a telephone interview, Mr Abdul Abiola, son of the late politician said there was nothing wrong with the naming of the university after his father.

``We are shocked by the reactions trailing this development. My late father believed so much in education. ``He donated money to universities across the nation. Naming a university after him was a well-deserved honour," he said.

According to Abiola, the renaming is just one way of honouring and immortalising him.

``He should still be given more honors. We see nothing political in this. ``We are happy about it and we are yet to understand the rationale behind people going up in arms over this," he added. Meanwhile, the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) has said Abiola deserved the highest honour in the land.

It said: ``While acknowledging the place of Abiola in the political history of Nigeria, we would want the highest possible honour for him. ``We, however, deplore the renaming of the University of Lagos after him,’’the SNG said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, in Lagos on Tuesday.

``We restate our demand that Abiola must be given a befitting honour for the sacrifices he made for democracy in Nigeria in a decent and worthy manner," it added.