UNILAG rejects OBJ: All-time low for the former president?
It should be no news that former Nigerian President Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo (OBJ) was not totally friendly with the academic community when he was at the nation’s helm of affairs. What is news is that he was recently rejected by the Senate Board of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as a nominee for the confirment of a honorary doctorate degree.
One is not sure how OBJ will handle this situation now that he is no longer the president. Had the Unilag authorities took an action like this when he was still president, the university will have received the same treatment metted out to Lagos State during his [OBJ’s] tenure in office - total neglect, witholding of federal funds/state allocation, etc. UNILAG may have been possibly shut down for an “unrelated offence” and members of the university senate will have been “invited” for questioning by Ribadu’s EFCC for corruption, misappropriation of university funds, and possible money laudering charges.
OBJ should consider this as a national disgrace. Reason: As the immediate former Visitor to the university, he should have been an inevitable recipient of the honorary degree (Dr. OBJ or maybe he will have preferred to be called Dr. Aremu). Perhaps, OBJ will not have needed to go back to the Open University System to complete his current degree. This will have saved the nation, several thousands of naira in gas (petrol) money for his vehicle and those of his escorts everytime he visits the Open University center or library to be examined or for study. Who knows whether he is using federal funds to pay for his tuition?
On another note, the actions of the UNILAG senate members is questionable. I say this, not as a sgn of disrespect for the nations ivory tower and scholars, but the question is whether they would have been able to reject OBJ, had he still been in power? Â
News source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200711290776.html
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