The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) Abdullahi Ribadu on Friday announced that the commission has uncovered over thirty tertiary institutions awarding fake honorary doctorate degrees, just as he also announced the ban of honorary degrees for public officials.
Ribadu made disclosure in Abuja on Friday after receiving the report of its committee on investigation into award and indiscriminate use of honorary doctorate degrees by recipients.
NUC executive secretary explained that honorary degrees were meant to recognise outstanding achievements of individuals but unfortunately higher institution are abusing it.
“The report of the investigation identifies 32 institutions operating as honorary doctorate degree mills, including 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies with no degree awarding powers, and 3 other non-degree awarding institutions. Some of these institutions go as far as awarding FEC professorships. There are people who even buy, give the university 20 million, 30 million, 40 million, 50 million and get honorary doctorate degree,” Ribadu stated.
According to NUC Boss, other findings from the report shows that the institutions were violating the Keffi declaration of 2012 agreed upon by vice Chancellors to regulate the award of Honorary Doctorate degrees.
“Important among the guidelines was that it should not be awarded to a serving public office holder, whether appointed or elected, and no self-nomination as well. But when you award somebody who is in office, then you are looking for patronage. An honorary doctorate degree, you are not to call yourself a doctor by that, because you can only write it. And when you write it, after your name, you put honoris causa, which means for the sake of honour,” he said.
Ribadu also disclosed that the commission would soon commence a clamp down of these institutions in collaboration with law enforcement agencies as well as develop a national guideline for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees.
While stating that the Commission would work with the National Assembly towards a law to criminalise and punish individuals or institutions that violate the guidelines, NUC executive secretary maintained that the commission was determined to guide the proper use of honorary degrees, regulate the awards as well as protect the integrity of the University educational system.
The Chairman of the investigative Committee, Professor Kabir Bala urged the Commission to enforce a uniform standard for awards and monitor their public use to uphold the dignity to the awards.
