Reps ask FG to rename Federal University, Wukari, after TY Danjuma
- The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to rename Federal University, Wukari, after retired General Theophilus Danjuma.
- The motion was sponsored by three lawmakers and backed by a voice vote at Wednesday's plenary.
- The renaming would need an amendment to the university's enabling Act before it can take effect.
The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to rename the Federal University, Wukari, in Taraba State after retired Lieutenant General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, in recognition of what lawmakers described as his contributions to national development.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion at Wednesday's plenary, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The motion was jointly sponsored by Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Mark Useni and Ayuba Zaku Dampar.
Under the proposal, the school would become T. Y. Danjuma Federal University, Wukari (TYDFUW). The House said the change is subject to the necessary amendment of the university's enabling Act.
Lawmakers also asked the House Committee on University Education to engage relevant stakeholders and work out the legislative steps needed to make the renaming happen.
Why the lawmakers want it
Presenting the motion, Gbefwi noted that the university was established in 2011 to widen access to higher education, promote research and support national development.
He said Danjuma's record in the military, in public service and in philanthropy, including support for education, healthcare and vulnerable communities, deserved recognition. Naming the university after him, he argued, would honour that work and preserve a legacy of service for future generations.
The motion was seconded by Bamidele Salam, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, and passed by a voice vote.
Speaker Abbas thanked Gbefwi for bringing the motion, saying: "Honourable Jonathan, thank you for remembering our leader, our mentor. Your motion is apt."
Danjuma, who is from Taraba State, served as Chief of Army Staff from 1976 to 1979 and later as Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2003. His TY Danjuma Foundation supports work in health, education and community development.
What happens next
For now, the resolution is only a request to the Federal Government. The name change cannot take effect until the university's enabling law is amended and the other administrative steps are completed.
For students and staff at Wukari, nothing changes yet. The House committee's engagement with stakeholders will show how quickly, or whether, the proposal moves forward.
