MAULAG: UNILAG Students Drag FG To Court

The students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Monday filed a suit against the Federal Government for changing the institution’s name to Moshood Abiola University.

The students sought an order of the court declaring that the announcement made by President Goodluck Jonathan on May 29, changing the name, was unconstitutional.

The students want the court to declare that UNILAG, being a creation of an Act of the National Assembly, cannot be changed except in accordance with the University of Lagos Act, 1967.

The plaintiffs also want a declaration that the power to change the university’s name belonged to the National Assembly.

“The question for determination is whether the president, in the exercise of his executive powers, can unilaterally change the name of the university,” the students asked.

The students also filed an ex-parte motion urging the court to grant them leave to serve the originating summons to the defendant in Abuja.

They contended that by virtue of the defendant not been within the jurisdiction of the court, permission of the court must be sought before service of the processes could be effected on the defendant.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

No fewer than 100 aggrieved students of the institution stormed the court premises in mini-buses but were prevented from protesting by armed policemen who were drafted to guard the court.