Date: 2015-02-16

The nomenclature change of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Molete into Abubakar Sola Saraki University (ASSU), which was ratified by a bill passed by the state House of Assembly in 2013 has not been effected, National Pilot can report.

The legislature had okayed ASSU for the name change for the state-owned varsity as part of moves to immortalise the late Senate Leader of the Second Republic and Waziri of Ilorin, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, who died on November 14, 2012, aged 79.

In a letter dated May 14, 2013, titled “Kwara State University (Change of Name) Bill, 2012,” and sent to the state’s parliament, Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed proposed that the institution be renamed as Sola Saraki University (SOSU).

But, the Nimota Ibrahim-led House Committee on Education and Human Capital Development, which conducted a public hearing on the bill, told the parliament that majority of the stakeholders agreed on ASSU as against the governor’s SOSU.

“With the commencement of this law, KWASU shall be Abubakar Sola Saraki University, ASSU, wherever it occurs in the University law and the law may be cited as Kwara State University Amendment Law,” the Speaker, Barrister Razak Atunwa, said during the third reading and final passage of the bill.

Our reporter learnt that the bill, which was passed in September 2013, had been assented to by the governor.

 However, this medium observed that the institution’s name-change has not taken effect for close two years after the ratification by the legislature.

When contacted over the weekend, the state’s Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulwahab Opakunle, explained the rationale behind the delay in the implementation of the law.

The implementation requires a lot of bureaucratic and legal processes, Opakunle submitted, disclosing that plans are underway to ensure that the law takes effect. 

He expressed the hope that it implementation would take effect before the third convocation of the institution later in the year.

He, however, confirmed that the bill had been assented to by the governor.

“The reason the KWASU’s name change has not been implemented to the name of the late eminent personality, Dr. Olusola Saraki, is not far-fetched other than it involves a lot of bureaucracy process and some legal documents have to be perfected. I think that’s just the reason,” he said:

Opakunle added: “My ministry is playing supervisory role over the university and I think what remains now is to advise the Vice Chancellor to expedite action on the implementation because people are eager to see the institution and other property in the name of Dr Olusola Saraki. I will make sure I reach out to the Vice Chancellor in due course.

Meanwhile, repeated efforts to get the position of the KWASU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdulrasheed Na’Allah’s clarification proved abortive as various calls and text messages sent to his cell phone were not responded to.

Also, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communication, Prince Tunji Moronfoye, did not pick his calls in a bid to seek more clarification on the implementation delay.