Towards the end of last summer, I was at a friend’s house when a couple walked in.  They were transiting from Hong Kong to Nigeria where they operate a coral bead selling business.  They had their goods on them and so I took the opportunity to buy some beads.  When it came time for payment, the lady asked me to make out the cheque to Dr Rev Mrs Mary ….. without the slightest hesitation.  All that on a cheque!  I looked at her husband in total bemusement but he smiled at me and offered by way of assurance that his wife is a “pastor somewhere in Warri”.  Things have changed a lot.  When I was growing up, the height for a community heavyweight was being called a Chief.  These days, that title is employed merely by the common folks and social wannabes.  Everyone now is an “Otunba” or has acquired other such high sounding tags.  To say that Nigerians and our “big men” adores titles is committing underspeak.  By 1999 when the new democratic dispensation took off, there were very few Governors with the title Dr.  By 2007 at their exit, the percentage had more than quadrupled.  Check out Kalu, Fayose, Tinubu, Adamu, etc, etc, etc.  Even more ominously, no self respecting Pastor will be caught sober without the title of Dr prefixing their name these days. 

About two years ago, I saw on television a couple of Caucasian men getting down on the dance floor in Lagos to Nigerian music.  This was not your average timid and pre-programmed shuffles.  I am talking about a proper boogie-boogie session.  These fellows were covered in sweat but rightly enjoying themselves.  When the ladies they were dancing with made to leave the dance floor, the men adroitly blocked their path.  The gentlemen turned out to be representatives of a school called the Irish International University (IIU).  They were in Nigeria on a recruitment drive.

Since that time, I have noticed that this school regularly award a large number of Nigerian elites honorary doctoral degrees.  For instance, in May 2007, it held an award ceremony in Malaysia. On that occasion, a few Nigerians including juju musician Yinka Ayefele, Bisi Olatilo and Alistair Soyode of BEN television were conferred with honorary doctorates.  In September 2007, the school held another award ceremony this time in Oxford.  Again, honorary awards were given to the ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, Patrick Dele Cole, Nigeria's former ambassador to Brazil, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya of Imo State, among many others which included a Northern Emir and Southwest King whom I honestly cannot now remember.

The obvious question you’re asking is what is an Irish University doing awarding so many Nigerians honorary degrees all over the place – in short, everywhere but Ireland?  Well, it turned out that the IIU is not a university at all.  It is not accredited anywhere.  In fact, the Irish government is considering legal action against the school.  In Dublin, Sean O'Foghlu, Chief Executive of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland said: "To use the word university in a title it needs approval from our Department of Education and Science - no such approval has been given by our department."   "Irish International University  has no standing as an educational institution in Ireland, it is registered only as a business name with the Companies Registration Office. Under the 1997 Universities Act, it requires the approval of the Minister for Education and Science to use the title 'university' and this department has never given such approval."

This contraption was set up around 1995 and only offers worthless degrees to hundreds of students whose primary aim was looking to obtain educational visas to enter the UK.  Essentially, foreigners are encouraged to spend thousands of Pounds for this.  Its “degree” programmes are usually completed in one year or less.  Higher degrees (that is Masters and Doctorates) are awarded to anyone who has money and mental laziness in abundance.  Somehow, the IIU and Nigeria’s elite discovered each other and a more perfect union have never been consummated.  But here comes the Irish government and the BBC to put asunder what demand and supply has joined together.

The IIU on it website boasts of “Commonwealth, International, European, and Associate” campuses.  In fact, it has only two offices: One in London and the other in Malaysia.  Its web site also claimed a Dublin Campus, but when BBC journalist came calling, all they found at the address was a mailbox.  It also claims its educational programmes were “quality controlled” by something called the Quality Assurance Commission (QAC-UK Ltd) based in London.   Again, BBC journalists visited the QAC only to find just one lady telephonist fielding calls for countless companies at a virtual office which upon further checks at Companies House revealed that QAC is in fact owned by the IIU’s boss.   For its award ceremonies, it hires rooms in Oxford and Cambridge Universities.  Occasionally, it goes to Malaysia. 

The brain behind the IIU is a Malaysian businessman Professor Dr Hardeep Sandhu.  This fine man is a Doctor of Letters, a doctorate awarded by another unaccredited university based in the Caribbean.  His professorship is "honorary" awarded by a European association set-up to give out professorships.  He is known to refer to his “PhD” as a Grand PhD.  I understand this is conferred to persons who are considered experts in several fields and can solve global problems.  I wonder what Andy Uba is waiting for!  But I digressed.   The “university” honorary Chancellor and head of Governing Council is one Baron Knowth.  The Baron spends most of his time living as a tax exile in Monte Carlo.

When confronted by BBC undercover journalists, the affable Baron readily admitted that the IIU was not "recognised anywhere".  He further said that its website is a figment of someone’s imagination.  “Someone's dreamt up what a university should look like, and that's what's on the website”.  Baron Knowth further stated that students and others paid a lot of money to attend the award ceremonies, adding: "If you can mention Oxford, Cambridge then the whole world thinks that it must be a good university".   Finally, he said that even the IIU's governing council, of which he and “Professor” Sandhu are both members, does not exist.  He stated that he only attends the convocation ceremonies because he is white and that impresses the “graduands” and award recipients.  But would Baron Knowth quit as honorary Chancellor?  No. He maintains that most IIU students were happy and that the “university” was good value for money.  And oh, he admitted that he bought his “Baron” title.  His real name is Jeffrey Wooller; a Chattered Accountant.

Following its lucrative honorary doctoral award business in Nigeria, this “university” has branched off into the Asian market.  At its last award ceremony, an honorary degree was conferred on the Prime Minister of Cambodia and other similar big men in little countries.  Recently, a British businesswoman was sufficiently embarrassed into handing back an honorary doctorate she was awarded by this bogus university.   The lady, Mary Chapman, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute, agreed to be guest of honour at the graduation ceremony for the IIU only to later discover that the whole set-up was a sham. The IIU put her picture on its website to help recruit more overseas applicants. Meanwhile, Oxford and Cambridge universities has banned the self-styled independent university from using its premises.  References to a Dublin campus and Quality Assurance Commission has been hurriedly removed from its website.

The web-based list of Unaccredited Institutions of Higher Learning is expectedly dominated by Bible Collegies and Universities; but the Irish International University was steady holding its own on there.  Now I suppose our Governors, traditional rulers and other social high fliers would have to content themselves with locally minted, even if less prestigeous doctoral degrees.  What’s a big man to do?

demdem@hotmail.co.uk

Robot  Villager

# 1 var sbtitle5909=encodeURIComponent(My Degree I...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 09.01.2008 10:51

nijalaw  Villager

# 2 How many Nigerians are strutting our landscape with these bogus degrees. Andy Ubah & Maurice Iwu rings a bell. The source for this article can be gotten below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7175730.stm or http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/01_january/07/bogus.shtml Posted by nijalaw| 09.01.2008 15:53

ajis15  Villager

# 3 Interesting! I doubt if Mr. Jeffrey Wooller is professional Accountant. If that is true, then he has committed fraud and should be made to face the disciplinary committee of his Institute. What Mr. Wooller is doing is sufficient to have his name struck out of the Institute of Chartered Accountant membership list and never allowed to practice the profession again. I believe the real brain behind this fake univesity is the indian called Sadhu who must have studied Nigerians and their craze for title. It shows how far the so called rich men in Nigeria will go to get a title. Posted by ajis15| 09.01.2008 16:22

ifeolooni  Villager

# 4 where is bisi olatilo show and other award holders frm the 2 bedroom university kodaa!!!!!!! pala pala Posted by ifeolooni| 09.01.2008 16:57

tomr  Villager

# 5 Well laid out article, and amusing as well. We on NVS have our own "my-degree-is-biggg"s. Thankfully, most of those that DO have second degrees fight shy of using them on NVS. I wonder why! ;-) Posted by tomr| 10.01.2008 09:38

mulan  Villager

# 6 Interesting article, hope those hungry for honorary degrees read this and shine their eyes. I will also have to keep an eye out for friends wishing to come across for further studies... Posted by mulan| 10.01.2008 09:50

RAYNOSA  Villager

# 7 The problem i see here has to do with inferiority complex. Take Bola Tinubu for example still Adding senetor to his name. If given the chance i won't be surprise when we start hearing people using N.V.S This and that. Empty barrels Won ni eni ti olurun o dun to la sugar(jedi jedi lo ma pa). Posted by RAYNOSA| 11.01.2008 04:55