By Kolawole Ojebisi
Barring a contrary decision by the National Assembly, one of the Federal government’s owned tertiary institutions in the country, the University of Abuja, will soon be known by a different name entirely.
This is as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) decided to rename the university as the Yakubu Gowon University.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
Addressing State House Correspondents, the Minister said the move was aimed at honouring the former Head of state and elder Statesman, Yakubu Gowon.
The Minister also said the decision “will go through the National Assembly, but FEC has taken that decision”.
Gowon served as Nigeria’s Head of States from 1966-1975. He reigned for nine years before his regime was toppled in a bloodless coup announced by late Col Joseph Garba, commander of Brigade of Guards, as he then was.
Gowon was in Uganda for an Organization of African Unity(OAU) summit meeting, on July 29, 1975 when the coup that ended his regime took place.
