President Tinubu warns Universities against indiscriminate award of degrees.

President Bola Tinubu has tasked Nigerian Universities against indiscriminate award of Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

The President stated this at the combined convocation ceremony for the 6th, 7th, and 8th graduates of the students of Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) on Saturday in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The President represented by Mr Chris Maiyaki, Acting Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), said degrees were being awarded for candidates found worthy in character and learning.

He said that academic competence and professional training represent just a fraction of the qualifications needed to build a strong and prosperous nation.

“Moral training and ethical standards must be coupled with the best form of academic development for universities to fulfill its purpose.

“Therefore, universities management and the general environments of teaching and learning must model the highest standard of integrity, probity and moral discipline.

“In this connection, I must draw your attention to the tendency of some institutions to devalue the quality of their degrees by given out honorary Doctorate Degrees indiscriminately against the common universities community practice,” he added.

The President said the habit of those given award of degrees indiscriminately is a sabotage which undermines the very core of academic integrity and must be discontinued.

He explained that honorary degrees should be given to only deserving Nigerians who have contributed immensely to the development of the society.

President Tinubu has also promised to always respond positivity to needs of universities and its communities in order to reposition things for better outputs.

He, therefore, promised to do everything possible to tackle the infrastructural deficit in Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions in the country.

In his goodwill message, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State commended the management of the institution for putting in effort to train students for four and five years as the case may be.

Gov. Sule also promised to train all the 50 First Class graduates of FULafia from the three sets in different entrepreneur skills and give each of them N500, 000 at the end of the one month training.

Sule promised to continue to support the university to enable it achieve its mandate of training the manpower needed for the development of the country.

Earlier, Prof. Shehu Abdul-Rahman, Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university said the convocation was the first in his third year as VC of the institution.

He explained that convocation ceremonies is where those who had received instructions from senior scholars and had passed prescribed examination are adjudged worthy in learning and character to receive their degrees and is part of the tradition of all universities in the world.

The VC said that the combined convocation was for 6, 499 students from 53 departments of 12 faculties, 48 PhD graduates as well as other post-graduates.

He further explained that the institution that started with few departments in 2011, currently has a College of Medicine, School of Basic and Remedial Studies as well as School of Postgraduate Studies.

He said that they were currently running 17 courses at Post-graduation level and nine other courses were awaiting commencement.

The Vice Chancellor said that the institution has 14 Resourced Centres and Academic Directorates responsible for research, retraining and consulting.

Abdul-Rahman said that he has been building on the formidable foundation and core values of integrity, innovation and excellence put on ground by his predecessors.

He therefore, commended the President, governor of Nasarawa State and other partners for their support to the institution. (NAN).