Universities observe partial compliance with award of honorary degrees – Official

The Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has said universities have partially complied with the directive on the award of honorary degree to political office holders since the Keffi Declaration.
The Secretary-General of the Association, Prof. Michael Faborode, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that a lot of members in the association had complied while some had yet to comply.
NAN reports that a guideline on the Keffi Declaration was released at the 27th conference of the association held in Nasarawa State in 2012.
The aim of the declaration was to reduce the indiscriminate award of honorary degrees and restore the age-long university culture and tradition of best practices.
The association noted that most of the awards were based on wealth, political office and position as a means of generating revenue with little or no consideration for integrity.
The association also noted that there was neither contribution to the development of the university nor consideration for national development.
The declaration urged universities to make it a policy not to bestow honorary degrees on any person holding political office while still in service.
Faborode told NAN: “As far as Keffi Declaration is concerned, I am sure that we have had slight compliance generally.
“The atmosphere in various universities has been tempered.
“There have been one or two places of unconscious non-compliance because they claim that some of the decisions had been taken before the Keffi Declaration.
“But I think in another year or so, we will have 100 per cent compliance, so that the system’s integrity can be properly restored.
“So we are quite happy with how far the compliance has been for members in respect of the Keffi Declaration.”
Faborode said the association, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission and its members, was acting like the whistle blowers and would continue to take appropriate action to ensure compliance.
He also said: “It is a general monitoring put together by all of us and no convocation can take place without the committee of vice chancellors knowing about it.
“We always request to see the list of honorary awardees and we can quickly point out who deserves what; that is why we have had this much compliance.”