World over, immortalising leaders,
either of thoughts, or leaders whose time wrought evocative and prosperous
indicia on the face of a nation’s history is an age-long practice.
Even in democracies of example,
leaders and legends are given primacy of place on the mind of the citizenry by
immortalisation. Their names are etched on the face of a state for generations
of citizens to meet and mark.
Nigeria is not an exception to this
culture. The tradition of naming institutions after leaders, living or dead,
has also lived with us for ages.
Nigerian government had immortalised
past political leaders by the way of naming public institutions after
them or writing their images of the country’s currencies or through other means
considered appropriate.
Nigeria’s political heroes past have
their names on public institutions around the geographical compartments of the
country, on government institutions, either owned by the state or federal
government.
From the first President of Nigeria,
Late Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Abubakar Yafawa
Balewa, to the premier leader of Opposition, Obafemi Awolowo- these fore and
illustrious leaders all have their names conspicuously immortalised around the
country’s spaces.
It is in this sense that the call to
immortalise Nigeria’s first civilian President, Shehu Shagari, by naming the
Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) after him and the ensuing
controversies over the plan spur intervention.
Eminent citizens have reacted
differently to this theme, though the voice of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, was
particularly audible in this regard.
The ace lawyer and statesman has
suggested to the Federal Government to rename the Federal University of
Technology, FUTA, after the late Shagari.
Babalola’s points are that the late
former President approved the citing of a Federal University of Technology in
Ado Ekiti at a rally on the 11th of October 1980.
According to him, the approval of
FUTA spurred the then Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin-led UPN Government in the
then Ondo state to announce the establishment of a university in
Ado-Ekiti.
The veteran legal luminary and Rabi
argued that late Shagari was instrumental to the establishment of the three
higher institutions, which now exist in Ondo and Ekiti states.
For FUTA Community, the points
raised by Afe Babalola do not add up to something. They cherish the brand FUTA
and would resist any attempt to alter the naming.
The National Alumni Association of
the University wants the Federal government to perish the thought of altering
the school’s name, promising to vehemently resist it.
Adesomoju Olaitan, FUTA alumni
President presents his own stance.
For him, the identity change would
affect the fortune of the university if allowed. FUTA, to him, is an
established professional brand that is globally respected for technological
innovations. It has developed several domestic and international collaborations
with other leading institutions.
These advances and relationship
would be marred in an identity crisis by changing its established brand name on
the whim of an individual.
Alumni says evidences abound on how
renaming for purposes of immortalisation have done damage to institutions of
higher learning than good and there is nowhere in the world that institutions
of higher learning over five years old are abruptly renamed.
They argued that Harvard and Oxford
have kept the same name since their creation and establishment, stressing these
brands are globally respected and identifiable.
FUTA family’s position is not in
error, just as the perspective of Babalola is remarkably patriotic and correct.
What is true is that university families now seem to be aggregating opinions to
the effect of hesitation when the theme bothers on re-naming academic
institution. The other day, university of Lagos rejected the Federal
Government’s proposal under the former President Goodluck Jonathan to name the
institution after the late winner of 1993 Presidential election and the subject
of June 12 movement. In cases where governments have had their way, some
measure of the coersion were applied.
Shagari deserves the name of any
institution, even that of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. The
University was birthed by his signature after all.
Some other Universities around the
country wear the tag of their founders; if FUTA must follow suit, good branding
efforts will help whatever nominal hitches that may arise.
The University of Ife dropped its
original identity for the name of its founder, Obafemi Awolowo, the first
premier of Western Region, and has since retained its luster.
Shehu Aliyu Shagari is a leader
Nigeria loved. He’s a national hero for whom nothing can be too big to give to
immortalise. Afe Babalola gave own narrative of Shagari’s darling deeds to the
South West.
His works transcend the Southwest,
it litters the six geographical entities of the country, such that state
governments of other compartments of the country should voluntarily announce
edifices after the illustrious President.
By his death, Nigeria has lost
a rare gem and an irreplaceable hero who stood and fought for the good of the
majority.Our consolation is that he led a good life and above all, he left his
indelible footprints on the sands of time.
He was undoubtedly a great man, an
exemplar of what quality leadership should be.
