Buhari sends congratulatory message to Olusegun Obasanjo bags his PhD from NOUN (Details, pics)

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, January 20, commended his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasajo, for attaining a PhD in Christian Theology from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) despite his age and political weight in the country.

It was reports that Buhari, who spoke at the seventh convocation ceremony of NOUN in Abuja, said: “Open distance learning university is the best alternative to the challenges of gaining admission into the universities in Nigeria.

Buhari also argued that the NOUN is the best and only solution to the challenges of admission into conventional universities in Nigeria. “All the conventional universities cannot admit more than one-third of qualified candidates annually. But we are happy that, in line with global education, open distance learning, ODL, being run by NOUN will soon completely eradicate the challenges of admission into universities.”

Represented by the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abubakar Rasheed, Buhari reiterated that the federal government would give the institution’s graduates the same recognition as others in the country.

“There will be no discrimination between ODL and conventional universities,” he said.

“Let me congratulate former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. You are indeed the father of open distance learning in Nigeria,” he said.

The president also congratulated the other 14, 770 graduates and urged them to be good ambassadors where ever they find themselves.

In his address, Vice Chancellor Abdalla Adamu said this was the largest number of students so far graduated in the university. Adamu said among the first degree graduates are 41 first class holders.

“But our greatest pride, today, however, is the graduation of our first PhD. student and he is no less a person than His Excellency, Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president and also a head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“His patience and perseverance in pursuing a doctorate degree program at his age, station and status in life, is a roadmap to all of us and clearly communicates three credo: you are never too old to learn, you are never too powerful to learn and you are never too full of learning,” Adamu said.