UNILAG students drag Jonathan to court over renaming of varsity
Written by Akeem Nafiu, LagosTuesday, 05 June 2012
Some students of Moshood Abiola University (formerly University of Lagos), have dragged President Goodluck Jonathan to a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Mohammed Liman for changing the name of the school.
The president had, in his Democracy Day broadcast to the nation, announced the renaming of UNILAG to Moshood Abiola University to honour the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
In the originating summons, the students, numbering 10, are seeking for a declaration that the University of Lagos, being a creation of an Act of the National Assembly to wit: University of Lagos Act 1967 (as amended), cannot be governed except in accordance with the provisions of the University of Lagos Act 1967.
Also, the students are seeking for a declaration that the power to change or amend the name of University of Lagos, being a corporate body having perpetual succession with common seal as provided under the University of Lagos Act 1967(as amended), belongs to the lational legislature.
Consequently, they are seeking for the court's order declaring that the announcement contained in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria's May 29, 2012, broadcast changing the name of University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University is unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
The students put forward two questions for the court's determination. These are:
(1) Whether the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in his capacity as the Visitor to University of Lagos has the power under the University of Lagos Act 1967, to unilaterally change the name of the institution to Moshood Abiola University?
(2) Whether the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the exercise of the executive powers of the federation vested in him in Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, can unilaterally change the name of University of Lagos without recourse to the National Assembly?
In the originating summons, the students, numbering 10, are seeking for a declaration that the University of Lagos, being a creation of an Act of the National Assembly to wit: University of Lagos Act 1967 (as amended), cannot be governed except in accordance with the provisions of the University of Lagos Act 1967.
Also, the students are seeking for a declaration that the power to change or amend the name of University of Lagos, being a corporate body having perpetual succession with common seal as provided under the University of Lagos Act 1967(as amended), belongs to the lational legislature.
Consequently, they are seeking for the court's order declaring that the announcement contained in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria's May 29, 2012, broadcast changing the name of University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University is unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
The students put forward two questions for the court's determination. These are:
(1) Whether the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in his capacity as the Visitor to University of Lagos has the power under the University of Lagos Act 1967, to unilaterally change the name of the institution to Moshood Abiola University?
(2) Whether the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the exercise of the executive powers of the federation vested in him in Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, can unilaterally change the name of University of Lagos without recourse to the National Assembly?
No comments:
Post a Comment