Students at the University of Abuja have rejected the proposal to rename the institution in honor of Yakubu Gowon, urging the federal government to reverse the decision without delay.
The students made the call at the main gate of the permanent site of the university on Thursday, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “The voice of men is the voice of God” “We stand for UniAbuja. We are the center of unity.” We are UniAbuja.” “Solve hunger problems not renaming UniAbuja.” ‘’It was rejected in Lagos, we are rejecting the same in Abuja,” among others.
Speaking on behalf of the Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade Nkem Silas emphasized the need for the federal government to reverse its decision, stating that the renaming of the university does not align with the interests of the entire student body.
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He pointed out that renaming the university after Yakubu Gowon could have negative psychological effects on the students and appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow the university’s name to remain unchanged.
Comrade Silas also announced that the students’ union would be submitting a formal letter, through the Vice Chancellor, to the Federal Ministry of Education, expressing their opposition to the name change.
In addition, Professor Jeremiah Vambe from the Department of Public Administration, an alumnus of the university, also voiced the community’s dissatisfaction with the decision.
While acknowledging Yakubu Gowon’s significance in Nigeria, he noted that both students and staff were unhappy with the abrupt announcement.
He argued that renaming the institution would have economic, legal, and psychological consequences for the university.
“Now, if you ask me, what are the legal implications? The legal implication is that they will have to amend the law establishing the university by changing the name University of Abuja to Yakubu Gowon University,” he said.
Comrade Adamu Abdulbasit, the President of the Abuja Indigenous Students Association (AISA) at the University of Abuja, expressed that changing the institution’s name would diminish both the university’s foundational history and the identity of the native people of Abuja.
“It is on this note that we the Abuja indigenous students are calling on the federal government to, instead of renaming UniAbuja after Gowon, complete the abandoned University of Science & Technology in Abaji, and rename it after Ladi Kwali University, Abuja.
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