The University of Maiduguri chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the federal government of the potential consequences of President Bola Tinubu’s renaming the institution after Late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking shortly after its Congress on Thursday at the University in Maiduguri, ASUU Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia accused Tinubu of disregarding legal processes to weigh the implications of his decision before making the pronouncement to rename the institution.
Mshelia revealed that the University has enjoyed a long time branding of about 50 decades which he noted to be currently serving the alumni, student community and stakeholders in the state.
He said the implications of renaming an existing university in Nigeria, particularly in the case of University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University were numerous.
The ASUU Chairman while noting that every federal university in the country was established by an Act of National Assembly, said the name of the University of Maiduguri was enshrined in an enabling law, stressing that renaming it requires legislative amendment.
He added that the University’s establishment was enshrined in the 1979 Decree as University of Maiduguri.
“For you to abolish a Degree, you will go back to the National Assembly. Mere political statement cannot do that. The University miscellaneous Act 2003 is what we use our blood to protect in the union as autonomous Act. The key provisions of the Act requires the consultation of the Governing Council of the University, the Senate, the Union, other stakeholders, and of course, the President or the Minister of Education cannot change the name of the University without due process,” said Dr Mshelia.
He, however, noted that the implications of the President’s pronouncement is such that the reputation that was built in the name of University of Maiduguri is now jettisoned.
“UNIMAID has built a 50 years reputation in academia, research, and of course, regional stability.
“Today, if we have utterances by our politician that will interfere with academic activities, it is unfortunate. This is because a sudden name change will affect our alumni community, erase our historical branding of the Institution and this will affect alumni connections,” he explained.
He continued, “This connection means the certificates, transcripts, professional affiliation, international recognition, research collaborators, rankings, and partnerships will be affected. The decision will dampen all these.
“You now have better information that this proposal will harm the people you are leading much more than you think. Now the President should better be aware of the consequences of the renaming of the University”.
A Professor of Law in the University who pleaded anonymity, revealed that the institution may likely head to court if the President fails to honour the position of critical stakeholders and the union.
“The University is bound by the Act and provision that established it. There is autonomy of the University. This therefore means that any decision to be taken on the University must be in accordance with the law.”
When asked on what the union will do if they did not succeed in their push for reversal of the name, the professor said, “The Union will consult their legal department, we have lawyers that handle our cases. There is a possibility that we could go to court, so that the court will hear our own side of the story.”
He explained that “name is not what will determine our academic activities here, but it wil affect the University in so many ways. For instance, someone who has a certificate now, in the name of UNIMAID, and wants to go somewhere to take a job and suddenly, the name becomes Muhammadu Buhari University, and they want you to bring transcript, you know you will have an explanation to offer, going to court for affidavit and many others”.
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