Mr Seyi Jakande, the son of the former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, has urged Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to revisit the discussion on renaming Lagos State University (LASU) after his father.
He made the appeal at the Maiden Edition of Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture, 2023, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Lagos on Monday.
The theme of the lecture was: “Lateef Jakande: The Man, His journalism, His Politics’’.
According to Jakande, Gov. Sanwo-Olu should rename LASU after his late father for his meritorious services to Lagos state.
Jakande said if this was done, the governor would have emulated other governors that renamed their state-owned universities after their founders.
He said that the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo of Ogun) and Prof. Ambrose Ali of old Bendel who borrowed from Jakande the idea to establish state-owned universities in their domain were immortalized by those states.
He also recalled that Prof. Kayode Fagbohun, a former Vice Chancellor of LASU, had once requested that the institution be named after the late former civilian governor of the state.
He said the request was inorder as similar universities established in Ogun and old Bendel states were variously named after their founding governors.
According to him, the state governments visited LASU to copy the model to establish a similar university.
“I urge the governor to revisit his promise of renaming the Lagos State University after my father.
“The state universities in the country that were named after their founders include Ambrose Alli University in Edo State.
“Others are the Adekunle Ajasin University, Ado Ekiti and Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State.
“Therefore, my father deserved such honour, as his works in the state were yet to be surpassed,’’ he said.
Speaking, Gov. Dapo Abiodun represented by a consultant, Mr Kayode Akinmade, said the maiden lecture had come at a time when Nigeria was in dire need of developmental drive of Jakande.
Abiodun said he was happy that the NGE had chosen to honour the legendary memory of a man who represented, and still represents even in death, the very best of Nigerian journalism and statesmanship.
He described Jakande as an ardent apostle of the late sage of Africa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, pioneer premier of the defunct Western Region and the best president Nigeria never had.
The governor added that Jakande was an ideological and ethically replica of his political leader and mentor.
He said: “It is, therefore, incontrovertibly correct to say that as the first democratically elected governor of Lagos State, Chief Jakande laid the foundation for modern Lagos.
“This is after he had made remarkable landmarks in journalism, details on which would require an entire address on his own.”
On his part, the former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, described Jakande as the most ‘grassrooted’ governor in the history of the country.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamsat, who represented Gov. Sanwo-Olu, said the state government would continue to sponsor the annual lecture initiated by the Guild.
He said that the state government had established Lateef Jakande Academy in honour of the leadership quality of the former governor.
He said the academy had had trained no fewer than 29 upcoming leaders, comprising 16 men and 13 women.
“Government will continue to strengthen the Academy and sponsor the annual lecture initiated by the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
The former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, said Jakande was a jack of all trades.
He said that the Nigerian Tribune was one of the bestselling newspapers due to the editorials written by Jakande.
He also commended his widow who was also present at the event, adding that the former Lagos state governor was the first African to become President of International Press Institute (IPI).
Osoba also lauded the state government for supporting the Guild’s initiative to honour Jakande.
The Chairman of the occasion, retired Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, a former judicial correspondent before enlisting in the Nigerian Army, described Jakande as a very quiet and resolute person while alive.
The former Military Governor of Imo state said that the event marked the beginning of a day set aside by journalists to immortalise one of the greatest achievers the journalism profession in Nigeria.
The President of the Guild, Mr. Eze Anaba, said the NGE was highly honoured with the caliber of personalities that attended the occasion to honour the media giant.
“We can’t talk about modern journalism without mentioning Alhaji Lateef Jakande. His footprint is everywhere for us to see. He was an incredible talent,’’ Anaba said.
Anaba, who urged journalists to emulate Jakande said: “As media managers, we have to think about strategic innovations as Jakande did during his time’’.
