Association of Vice Chancellors
of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) has called on member universities to stop
forthwith the award of honorary degrees to serving political officeholders,
either elected or appointed.
The new policy, which the
association described as “Keffi Declaration”, was contained in a communiqué
signed by the chairman, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, and issued at the end of the
association’s 27th conference, held in Nasarawa state University, Keffi.
The association said only
professionals, who have excelled in their various fields of human endeavour,
should be awarded honorary degrees.
“The honorary degree award
should normally be given to any professional, who has made significant or
groundbreaking discoveries, accomplishment, Invention or innovation,” the
statement said.
The statement added that the
award of degrees should not be tied to wealth consideration or political alignment,
but should rather be based on leadership and contribution to the socio-economic
development of the society.
The conference frowned at the
situation where some universities across the country use award of degrees as a
way of generating revenue, “which has ruined the sanctity of universities as
instruments of moral guidance.”
Source: Blueprint
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