Education Minister Faults Critics of First Lady’s Honorary Degree Award

Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, faulted critics of Nigeria’s first lady, Patience Jonathan over the honorary doctorate degree conferred on her by a university in South Korea.

The minister, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti, said that the criticism was “not only out of place, but also bereft of common sense.”

Wike was in Ado-Ekiti for the inauguration of the College of Technology building in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, named after President Goodluck Jonathan.

It will be recalled that some Nigerians, including the opposition party, All Progressives Congress, APC, had condemned the decision by Mrs. Jonathan to receive the award.

The critics had said that it was ill-timed for the first lady to receive the award, when universities in the country were shut down because of ASUU strike.

Wike said that there was nothing wrong with the action of the first lady as long as it was the university that decided to extend such rewarding gesture to her.