Time to Dishonour Those Undeservedly HonouredBy Abubakar A Nuhu-Kokoaanuhukoko@yahoo.com
When in 1999, Nigeria rejoined the respected club of democratic nations, after about sixteen straight years under military jackboots of dictatorship, there was a general sight of relief throughout the country and democratic Africa as a whole. The civilised democratic world welcomed Nigeria into civilisation and decency, once again. However, instead of showing the world that we’ve cleansed ourselves of uncivilised, undemocratic and backward-looking credentials by behaving as the rest of the civilised world does, we continue with our business as usual old bad habits.
They say old bad habits never die! For example, one area that used to be highly respected; shielded from abuse for a very long time in Nigeria, was award of honorary doctorate degrees by our universities. However, after suffering from decades of wanton and criminal neglect by the successive military governments, our universities were reduced to ordinary meeting points of students and lecturers; whereby, the only things that strive are social delinquency and breeding of army of unemployable youths with no future.
Because of inadequate funding of our educational system at all levels, particularly the University system, our University administrators were forced to be creative and innovative in getting additional funds in order to keep their doors opened or do with the only handouts they get through the coffers of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and or their respective owner-State Governments/private owners. Therefore, in their desperations to raise money at all costs, they innovated by creating bogus “Executive Education” programmes, mainly in financial studies etc.
Furthermore, the University administrators started “auctioning” the sacred and highly coveted priceless commodity they have – that is, the time-honoured Honorary Doctorate Degrees (i.e., Doctor Honoris Causa). Over the years, the degrees were shamelessly conferred to the highest bidders. The highest bidders turned out to be the 36 Executive Governors of the 36 respective States of the federation.
Gradually, all the Universities (federal and state governments-owned and privately owned) were in keen competition to out do one another in the award of honorary doctorate degrees to the State Executive Governors all over the country. The respective University Councils shamelessly sit to approve the names of the recipients without recourse to the relevant statutory provisions and procedure for awarding the degrees. They awarded and conferred the degrees to the most undeserving members of the society – tinted members of the political class and business moguls with questionable characters and backgrounds.
The overwhelming majority of the doctorate degrees dished out by the University governing councils in Nigeria went to these undeserving recipients. These recipients did not meet the usually strict criteria established for the selection and conferment of such honorary doctorate degrees to deserving members the society. The qualities necessary for the selection and award of such degrees are clear and explicit; they include good character amongst others. It is now a common knowledge that majority of the State Governors conferred with these noble degrees did not meet these criteria.
What only matters in the eyes of these University Councils is money, irrespective of how legitimate or otherwise of the source of it! The practice became so bizarre to the extend that, some State Executive Governors received up to five honorary doctorate degrees in one calendar year! The most ridiculous thing in all this sordid affairs was that, the only criterion used in selecting and conferring the awardees or recipients of these priceless honours was the amount of public money a State Governor is wiling to dish out to the University. Most of the State Governors were found wanting as they regard the public treasury as their personal till. Majority of them have been investigated and indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They are likely to be arrested and be prosecuted by the EFCC with the expiration of their Constitutional immunity from prosecution while in office.
The shameless practice seriously eroded the sanctity of the priceless time-honoured system, which is only available in the Universities. The abuse of this honour, stature and privilege became so rampant that it became an embarrassment even to the then reform-minded Minister of Education, Mrs Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili (now one of the vice presidents of the World Bank). Mrs Oby had to intervene in order to salvage the sanctity of the time-honoured priceless commodity from further bastardisation. She ordered for a comprehensive list of all recipients of such degrees awarded by the federal universities to determine their appropriateness or otherwise. Unfortunately, however, nothing was done about this up to the time she left for her new position in Washington, DC, USA. There is therefore, an urgent need for President Yar Adua to revisit this issue with a view to sanitising the system of awarding this highly coveted honour system of the university system. Therefore, the only option available is to withdraw them in order to save the dignity and sanctity of this time-honoured tradition.
Interestingly, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, United Kingdom (UK) is set to establish a precedent in this direction. In 1984, the then British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Lord Carrington cajoled the University of Edinburgh to consider conferring President Robert Mugabe its honorary doctorate degree in recognition of his “Service to education in Africa.” Some of the qualities considered in recommending him to be bestowed with the honorary doctorate degree of the University were for example, respect for his intellectual qualities and stature as a respected national leader. The University of Edinburgh evaluated the merits of the request by subjecting it to the usual rigorous due diligent and due process tests that are required to see if President Mugabe meets the laid down criteria to merit the University’s highly coveted Doctor Honoris Causa.
President Robert Mugabe was found to be eminently qualified and was thus, conferred with the prestigious honorary Doctor of Letters of the famous and prestigious University of Edinburgh in 1984. At the time he was honoured, President Mugabe was a hero and freedom fighter of repute. His personal integrity and credibility were never in question then. For example, he helped his country move to independence through a combination of protracted armed struggle and peaceful negotiations at the London’s Lancaster House in the late 1970s. Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980. Comrade Mugabe became its President. He holds the post for 27 years since then.
However, times have equally changed since then. President Mugabe no longer commands the respect of his people and the international community. He has tragically transformed himself from a hero and man of honour to a tyrant and pariah. What a tragedy! For his behaviours that have continued to be embarrassing to his own country, his people and attracting international condemnation, the University of Edinburgh is taking the necessary steps to strip him the honorary doctorate it awarded him in 1984. The removal of the honour is set to be formalised by the Senate of the University by the end of the first week of June 2007.
Thus, the University of Edinburgh has set a precedent for others to emulate. Therefore, Nigerian Universities should borrow a leaf from this commendable example in the light of the despicable behaviour of treasury looting by almost all the State Governors, whom were the main recipients of the honorary doctorate degrees from the Nigerian Universities in the last eight years. This is the best path towards restoring the sanctity, prestige and dignity of our Universities’ honour system and stature in the global community of learning. These State Governors and other indicted members of the public that were awarded such degrees in the past, do not deserve such an honour any longer in the name of the nation’s highest centres of learning, research and character moulding. They betrayed the honour and must therefore, be stripped of it without further ado.
Therefore, stripping them of these honorary doctorate degrees would be first, small steps towards letting them know that Nigerians do not condone and accept abuse of trust, exploitation of the people and bad leadership. Second, send a clear message to all in position of public trust that, no one abusing and misusing his or her position of trust and causing untold hardships to ordinary citizens can take undue advantage of our honour system. Finally, the Nigerian University authorities must know that, the teaming graduates of our Universities do not wish to be associated with such persons whose characters are dented. Finally, the annual national honour system must be subjected to similar scrutiny and weeded of undeserving recipients; particularly from 1999 to date. I rest my case.
Abubakar A Nuhu-KokoExecutive DirectorThe Shehu Shagari World Institute for Leadership and Good Governance (SSWI), Sokoto, Nigeria
|