Academics have said that Dino Melaye\u2019s donning of academic gown to the Senate plenary session on Tuesday is a \u201c juvenile attempt\u201d at proving that he attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.<\/p>\n
Senator Melaye had stormed the National Assembly Plenary Session on Tuesday ( today) in what academics described as \u201cceremonial\u201d gown , rather than an academic robe.<\/p>\n
The senator representing Kogi West has been under fire in the past week, as critics allege that he did not earn an academic degree from the ABU as claimed.<\/p>\n
In his defence, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, had deposed before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Monday that Melaye earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from ABU, with a Third Class.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The PUNCH online, Professor of History and a former Dean of Faculty of Arts at the Lagos State University , LASU, Ojo , Abolade Adeniji, said if Melaye felt that his appearing in what he thought was an academic gown would confirm his claim that he attended ABU, it is \u201c juvenile. \u201d<\/p>\n
Adeniji said, \u201c This is a juvenile attempt at justifying his claims that he attended ABU .\u00a0He has only made a fool of himself.<\/p>\n
\u201c What the senator has done is unusual, and this should be a source of concerns to his fellow senators.<\/p>\n
\u201c The senatorial position is an exalted one that should not be trivialised the way Senator Melaye is doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe appearance he assumed today is not for an adult, much less a senator. He looks so cheap. It \u2019 s a political drama that was meant to prove that he has a degree. \u201d<\/p>\n
Another academic, the Dean of Arts Faculty and Associate Professor of English Language at LASU, Dr . Adeleke Fakoya, said the gown that Senator Dino Melaye wore \u201cis a ceremonial one.”<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a ceremonial gown and not an academic robe. It is a ceremonial uniform usually worn during formal ceremonies in any Ivory Tower.<\/p>\n
\u201c Even then, you can only wear such ceremonial robes if you are a part of the procession in the academic environment; never in the context in which Senator Melaye wore it today.<\/p>\n
\u201c The type of gown that the senator wore in that photograph is usually worn by vice- chancellors, registrars, deans, etc .<\/p>\n
\u201c If Melaye intended it to prove that he graduated from ABU , then he missed it big time because the type of gown he is wearing is not for someone being conferred with a first degree, to start with.<\/p>\n
\u201c It is a ceremonial costume that should not be worn in frivolous manner as this senator has done .\u00a0It \u2019s either hired or stolen. \u201d<\/p>\n
On the implications of Senator Melaye\u2019 s action, Fakoya said it wouldn\u2019 t change anything.<\/p>\n
He said it\u2019 s like the case of a church leader who chooses to wear a Pope \u2019 s gown .<\/p>\n
\u201c It won’t make that person a Pope, because we know the processes involved towards becoming a Pope.<\/p>\n
\u201cDitto for academics. You must earn what you claim to possess, academically or by way of honorary bestowal.<\/p>\n
\u201c The onus is on anyone to justify his claims to any degree, instead of treating sacred objects with frivolity as we have here. \u201d<\/p>\n
Sent from my iPhone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Academics have said that Dino Melaye\u2019s donning of academic gown to the Senate plenary session on Tuesday is a \u201c juvenile attempt\u201d at proving that he attended the Ahmadu Bello…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n