UNIMAID ASUU to Announce Position on Buhari Renaming After Congress Meeting

The University of Maiduguri chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it will soon make public its official stance on the recent decision by President Bola Tinubu to rename the institution after late President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking in a telephone interview on Sunday, the chairman of the union, Dr. Abubakar MShelia, explained that ASUU’s position would be disclosed after the university’s next congress meeting.

“Our members will be meeting, and we shall make our position known to the public. 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,” he said.

Dr. MShelia declined to hint at what direction the union’s decision might take ahead of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Yahaya Maigari, stated that a portion of the student body is opposed to the renaming of the university, citing the institution’s long-standing identity and reputation.

“We cannot say all of our students, or 100 per cent of the students, have accepted the change of the university name, but a certain percentage rejected the renaming because of its long reputation. As a matter of fact, we will be celebrating UNIMAID at 50 soon, that’s five decades, so you know it’s not easy for some of the students to accept that sudden change,” he said.

Nonetheless, Maigari expressed personal support for the name change, acknowledging Buhari’s contributions to education in Nigeria.

“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 said.

Also lending his voice, the immediate past SUG President, Muhammad Bello, described the move as a fitting tribute to the legacy of the late leader.

“The renaming of the UNIMAID is a tribute to the late President’s contribution to Nigeria. Though some may debate the renaming, but for me, it is a gesture that reflects his impact on the nation, not only the nation but the world in general,” he said.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari passed away last Sunday in a London hospital after a brief illness.