TWO university dons, Prof. Victor Olumekun, and Prof. Ini Oko, have criticised what they described as the fraudulent award of honorary doctorates to some Nigerians by foreign institutions.
The dons who spoke in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH on Friday, expressed worry over the bastardisation of honorary degrees by some foreign institutions.
No fewer than 100 prominent Nigerian politicians, celebrities and clerics have bagged honorary doctorate awards popularly referred to as “honoris causa” between June 2022 and June 23, 2022, investigations by Sunday PUNCH has revealed.
While some of these degrees were awarded by Nigeria-based institutions, others were awarded by “affiliate” institutions, leadership and business centres in Benin Republic, United Kingdom and even the United States of America.
Speaking, Prof. Olumekun, who is a lecturer at the Adekunle Ajasin University, said the institution would never encourage awardees to refer to themselves as ‘Doctor’, adding that AAU would only award honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of public service and not cash and carry.”
He said, “For us in the university, we do not encourage honorary awardees to refer to themselves as Dr, but this is Nigeria. There are several classes of honorary doctorates. My university gives in recognition of public service. Most of the American ones are cash and carry.”
Also, Prof. Oko, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, said, “Most of these pastors, politicians and celebrities go after these degrees because they simply want to be addressed as ‘Dr’. When you dig in further, you realise that some of these degrees are fraudulently awarded.
“Yes, we have those who are awarded to deserving individuals based on their contributions to the society but then most of the degrees awarded are those that have been purchased with money. This needs to be regulated.”
Speaking with our Sunday PUNCH, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof Gbolahan Bolarin, told our correspondent that honorary doctorates did not equal PhDs.
“Honorary one is awarded mostly based on contributions to the university community or nation while PhD is earned through research, purely based on academics.
When asked if recipients of honorary doctorates can affix PhDs to their names, he said, “No, except if the person has earned PhD prior to the award of the honorary one.”
Sunday PUNCH reports that in 2015, the National Universities Commission, the regulatory body for universities in Nigeria and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, planned a meeting with Vice-Chancellors of universities following the high rate of honorary doctorates that were awarded by institutions over concerns that many of them did not meet required standards.
Earlier in 2012, the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities made moves to ban the nation’s tertiary institutions from awarding honorary degrees to any political holder or appointee.
The then Secretary-General of the Association, Prof. Michael Faborode, during the 27th conference of the association, which was held at the Nasarawa State University, while examining the general erosion of academic culture and tradition, agreed on the new guidelines.
Faborode said, “The award of degree should be given to any professional who has made significant or groundbreaking discoveries in the areas of accomplishments, invention, and innovation among others to societal development.”
“This should not be tied to wealth consideration or political alignment; rather it should be based on leadership, service and the contribution of the recipient to social and economic development of the society.”
Another tough decision agreed upon by the Vice-Chancellors during the time was to address the apparent abuse of the title ‘Dr’ by honorary awardees, who had not conducted any research work to earn the title.
Faborode further explained that the association agreed that no university should be allowed to award honorary degree “if it has not graduated any PhD or has no post-graduate school.”
He also added that the use of ‘Dr’ as a title for honorary degree graduates and awardees “is unconventional and therefore, not allowed.”
More findings by our correspondent revealed that federal, state and private-owned universities in Nigeria also decorated politicians and clerics with honorary doctorates.
On June 22,2023, the Lagos State University decorated the First Lady of Lagos state, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu alongside the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, a former Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, a former special assistant to the President, Adejoke Orelope, founder, Mountain of Fire Ministries, Daniel Olukoya with honorary doctorate degrees for their contributions to the institution.
Earlier in December 2022, former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, governors of Lagos and Oyo states, Babajide Sanwoolu and Seyi Makinde respectively were all decorated with honorary doctorates at the Ajayi Crowther University.
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