The University of Maiduguri Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it will soon announce its official stance on the recent decision by President Bola Tinubu to rename the institution after the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a telephone interview with PUNCH Online on Sunday, the Chairman of the university’s ASUU chapter, Dr. Abubakar M. Shelia, revealed that their position would be made public following the next congress meeting.
“Our members will be meeting, and we shall make our position known to the public,” he said. “We will make our position very clear by the time the congress meets. The excos have met, and the veterans have met. We have collectively decided that soon, we will make our position public and convey the message to whom it may concern.”
Dr. Shelia, however, declined to offer any details on what the public should expect from their resolution.
Meanwhile, the President of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the university, Yahaya Maigari, noted that a significant portion of the student population is opposed to the renaming of the university.
“We cannot say all of our students, or 100 per cent, have accepted the change of the university name, but a certain percentage rejected the renaming because of its long-standing reputation,” Maigari said.
“As a matter of fact, we will soon be celebrating UNIMAID at 50 — that’s five decades — so it’s not easy for some students to accept such a sudden change.”
Despite this, Maigari commended President Tinubu for the decision, describing Buhari’s contributions to education as notable.
“For me as the SUG President, I truly support the decision to rename the university after the late President, particularly in recognition of his lifelong contribution to Borno and Nigeria at large,” he added.
The immediate past SUG President, Muhammad Bello, also supported the name change, praising the late president’s legacy.
“The renaming of UNIMAID is a tribute to the late President’s contribution to Nigeria. Though some may debate the renaming, for me, it is a gesture that reflects his impact on the nation — and even globally,” Bello said.
President Muhammadu Buhari died in a London hospital last Sunday following a brief illness.
