Corruption

Corruption: Honourary Degrees For Sale In Nigeria!!!

Sirajo Abdullahi D/Iya

Honorary Degrees are openly on sale in Nigeria. Hurry, While Stock Lasts!!! For quite sometimes now, this has been lucrative venture among the Nigerian University community. Before I divulge into this issue, let me quickly comment on the recent arrest and prosecution of Mossob Leader Chief Nwazuruike and Alhaji Dokubo Asari of the Niger Delta volunteer forces.

Though no responsible government will tolerate lawlessness and threat to its national security, however, it is important for government and its agencies to discharge their constitutional responsibilities with utmost fairness devoid of any form of discrimination. Before the arrest of these two militant Nigerians, Ganiyu Adam and Fredrick Fasheun of the Yoruba terrorist organization (OPC) were also arrested. However, while Alhaji Asasri and Chief Nwazuiruke were brought from Port Harcourt and Owerri respectively to Abuja to face a competent court with wider jurisdiction, the two Yoruba terrorist were taken back to Lagos to face a small magistrate court. These terrorist were later released unconditionally. It was even reported that they were placed on house arrest at one of the government reserved houses in Ikoyi.Who said Nigeria does not belong to the Yoruba?

The initial arrest of Ganiyu Adam and Fredrick Fasheun was a mere political camouflage to deceive other Nigerians that indeed the government is serious about nation’s security, while the real sense about it was just to deal with the scapegoats. This is Obasanjo’s Nigeria, what a shame?

Back to our topic of discourse, the issues of national honor and conferment of honorary degrees by Nigerian government and University is obviously a sad development. It is disheartening at this time of our national development that recognition and national honors are still been traded without recourse to one’s integrity.

In some countries, people are often recognized and names immortalized when they are either dead or completely out of government. In many instances these people are individuals with highest level of integrity, honesty, sincerity and have during their active service or chosen profession made or are making immense contribution to their locality, state, country and humanity in general.

However, in Nigeria it is only when one exalt in the art of stealing and moral bankruptcy that the national honor and degrees are conferred on him. Many people believe that the more corrupt you are in Nigeria the higher the national honor and degrees are conferred in you. This of course can be seen in the struggle among the elite to steal and amaze as much wealth as possible for them to qualify for national honor award, chieftaincy titles and honorary doctorate degrees.

All these assertions can be best describe by examining the recent conferment of honorary doctorate degree of science by University of Maiduguri to the former Kano state governor, and present minister of defense, (Dr.) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Reading the citation of the recipient at the award ceremony, the minister was described as a pillar in the promotion and development of education in Kano state, the reader made serious attempt to justify his assertion using the recipient tenure as governor in Kano state 1999-2003. The recipient was also recognized for his contribution in the provision of adequate and portable drinking water in Kano state.

It is obviously a clear case of trading and bastardization of the honorary degrees in Nigeria to consider Kwankwaso for that kind of award. For instance, if not that the University‘s council and senate are ignorance about the true picture of the situation, it was Kwankwaso that retrenched all the non indigenes in the service of the state. This affects the education sector significantly. Most of the science and technology teachers are non indigenes; therefore our children were left to be in a very disadvantage situation. The effect of this ruthless policy was later seen in the SSCE/NECO examination result in the state. To this moment, the state is yet to recover from the damaged done to the education sector. This has of course drag and backslide our educations drive and has hampers our quest for good and qualitative education in the state.

The same recipient of this honorary causa degree was caught stealing over N67 million belonging to scholarship board for the payment of students’ allowance. The indigenous teachers in the state have never had it so bad than during the stewardship of (Dr.) Kwankwaso. No single teacher was promoted for four years; their retiring colleagues were denied their entitlements and pensions.

In his policy of down sizing, out of about 4,000 civil servants retrenched, 60% were classroom teachers. Similarly, in 2002 – 2003 Kwankwaso inaugurated a tax force committee under the chairmanship of his adviser Baba Impossible, the committee was able to shut down over 100 private nursery/primary and secondary schools in the state. Some of the surviving ones were heavily taxed and had to close shop susquently. No one can quantify the extent of damage that unguarded policies have caused the state and its people.

The University of Maiduguri consultancy outfit that sealed off the purchase deal of that undeserved degree must have forgotten that the honorable minister is a water resources engineer and has served the state water board at the beginning of his career. Upon all the first hand information available to him, the Maiduguri doctor of science has before ascending to the exalted office of the governor in the state, he performed woefully to the extent that he has to confessed in 2002 that “no water no pay” to the consumers. The acute shortage of portable drinking water was the root cause of cholera out- break in the state twice during his four years of maladministration.

The situation remains up the time he was kicked out in 2003. His inadequacies necessitate the present administration in the state to embark on giant water project at Tamburawa. One wonders in what way Kwankwaso deserved that degree of science from University of Maiduguri. One should not be surprise looking at the caliber of people appointed into the governing board of the institution. Definitely, the sale of both academic and honorary degrees to the unmerited children and corrupt politicians, public servant as well as military elite can alleviate their poverty to certain extent; thereby soften their frustration of being in the University for donkey years.

At this moment, I wish to appeal to the EFCC to as a matter of national importance and urgency extend their search light to our tertiary institutions and to add academic fraud in its mandate as part of enrichment of its functions. Thus the EFCC can now be referred to as Economic, Financial and Academic Crime Commission, EFACC.

Failure to curtail these unholy practices in Nigeria will lead to a situation where people within and outside Nigeria reject these honors if extended to them even if it is on merit. As for me the writer, I hereby reject any national honor or honorary degree in advance should it be extended to me. Honestly, it is not my pride to belong to the league of Chief (Dr.) Tafa Balagun CFR, Chief Makunjola OON, Gen. Abacha GCON, (Dr.) Rabiu Kwankwaso, (Dr.) Peter Odilli, (Dr.) Ahmed Makarfi, (Dr.) Abdullahi Adamu and Sarkin Yakin Otta. Is it not a funny list? Who want to be a Doctor of Stealing? Certainly not me, I rather die without title than to belong!