Rights Group Rejects Soludo’s Renaming of Uli Campus of Ojukwu Varsity After Mbadinuju

A prominent human rights organization, The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has strongly voiced its opposition to recent decisions made by Governor Soludo regarding the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU). The group specifically condemns the proposed renaming of the Uli campus after former Governor Christian Chinweoke Mbadinuju, asserting that such an action disrespects the legacy of the university's namesake, Igbo leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

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It is recalled that the Anambra State University was established under former Governor Mbadinuju through State House of Assembly Law No 13 of 2000 and was later renamed “Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, Anambra State” through a Law passed by the State House of Assembly on Sept 11, 2014, under Peter Obi as Governor.

Intersociety's leadership, spearheaded by Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, argues that the university and all its campuses were appropriately established and subsequently renamed to honor Ojukwu. They maintain that any attempt to rename individual campuses is an "academic exercise or effort in futility that cannot stand the test of time." The group emphasizes that the university's name must remain "Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, Anambra State" irrevocably.

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Therefore, having been popularly renamed after the Igbo Leader and Eze Igbo Gburugburu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the University and its three campuses at Igbariam, Uli and Awka is incapable of being given another name including any of its campuses.

Further compounding their dissent, Intersociety has also rejected the appointment of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah as the university's Chancellor. The group cites Bishop Kukah's "continued silence in the face of grisly attacks on Christians in the North" as a primary reason for their disapproval. They contend that despite his influence, Kukah has not sufficiently utilized his connections to advocate for the protection of persecuted Christians across Nigeria. This stance highlights a growing concern within certain circles about the perceived lack of vocal advocacy from religious leaders on critical security and human rights issues affecting Christian communities in Nigeria.

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The name of the university must irrevocably remain “Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, Anambra State”. Anything in the contrary is a mere academic exercise or effort in futility that cannot stand the test of time.