IBBU to Stop Giving Honorary Degrees to Undeserving Politicians, Businessmen:
The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigeria Universities has taken measures to forestall the purchase of honorary degrees by undeserving Nigerians.
Vice-Chancellor of Ibrahim Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, Professor Ibrahim Kolo, made this known in Minna while speaking with journalists
He said that steps are being taken to stop giving honorary degrees to politicians and businessmen who do not deserve such honours. “It was brought to the attention of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigeria Universities that the manner in which some universities were beginning to award degrees to those who do not deserved them was becoming unbecoming. In order words people were being given awards not for their tangible contributions to the university or the society but on the basis of what they can offer to the university,” he said.
Kolo said honorary degrees should be awarded to people who had contributed meaningfully to the society or university not to the highest bidder. “When somebody is awarded a doctorate degree in the university, it should be in recognition of his selfless service and tangible contribution not necessarily the money that individual has given to the university.”
The VC is optimistic that universities in Nigeria would improve with time, adding that most of the world class universities are over 400 years old and had developed over the period.
“You cannot compare such old universities with those that are barely 10 years old,” he said, adding that the foundation for the greatness of IBBU had been laid and that in the next 50 years, the management would continue to build on the foundation to make it a world class university.
Source: This DAy