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Pantami And The Ruination Of Academia

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4 years ago

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By Ali Abubakar Sadiq

Several years ago when I was in Cambridge University for a course, I was perplexed considering the Director of the program I was attending, Denis Alexander, a Professor, rarely use the title but held on to his Doctor Title. I believed a professor is someone higher than a Doctor but why is Denis not using it? Finally I approached the man with my dilemma and he explained to my satisfaction.

Bruce Macfarlane, the author of Intellectual Leadership in Higher Education, describes ‘professor’ as ‘a slippery term’. That’s because in the UK it means something quite different from what it denotes in North America. In North America ‘professor’ and ‘professorship’ are generic labels applied to all academics employed to research and teach in universities.

In the UK, much of Europe (and, for the most part, in Australasia and South Africa), ‘professorship’ denotes distinction: a professor is someone who has been promoted to the highest academic grade – usually on the basis of her or his scholarly achievements. It’s the equivalent to what, in North America, is known as full professorship.

Some people are unclear about how someone known as ‘Dr’ is different from someone whose title is ‘Professor’. ‘Dr’ denotes someone who has studied for, and been awarded, a PhD, so it denotes an academic qualification: the holder of the highest university degree. It’s the equivalent of writing ‘PhD’ after someone’s name. Most professors will be PhD-holders, but so will be many – if not most – other academics employed as university teachers and researchers. ‘Professor’ doesn’t denote a qualification but an academic staff grade – the most senior one. So, in the UK, an academic whose title is ‘Dr’ is someone who’s got a PhD, but hasn’t been promoted to the highest academic grade, while an academic whose title ‘Professor’ is someone who probably (but not necessarily) has a PhD, but who has been promoted to the highest grade on the university pay scale. Professorship therefore denotes seniority and status.

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If we make a comparison with medical doctors working in a hospital, all will have medical degrees, but they are employed at different levels of seniority, with consultants being the most senior doctors. We may think of professors as the equivalent of hospital consultants. On the other hand, there is an honorary doctoral degree, which is often awarded in recognition of one’s life experiences. It is denoted by the letters “h.c.”, which is an abbreviation for “honoris causa” (Latin for “for the sake of honor”). This means that the degree is bestowed as an honor rather than through the completion of certain academic requirements. Those who are honored with this title often do not have any prior connection to the award-giving institution. But we don’t have an Honorary Professorial conferment, what Pantami seems to have received from Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO). According to the Governing council of the University (FUTO) Pantami was among seven Readers promoted to the rank of Professorship. A Reader (in some countries equivalent to a Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor) is a bonafide lecturer in a university, something Pantami never was at FUTO in the first place. It is therefore easily discernible that you can never be a professor without being employed and teaching in the particular University awarding you the title.

I was ashamed when I learnt that Pantami is awarded a professorship from a University he never taught. As an Islamic Scholar, an academician and a leader, it is really disgraceful of him to accept something as dubious. It is an open fact that nowadays Doctorate degrees are bought and sold and whoever can do that is not a worthy academician or scholar.

In July 2020 the London Graduate School in UK offered to confer me with a Honorary Doctorate degree and despite the fact that an appendage of Dr. to my name will have a nice rings (we all want titles and accolade, right?) I eventually declined since I learnt that I had to pay 3,500 USD, which in essence is saying I am buying the title and not earned it. The last title standing is Professorship and with Pantami’s pacesetting trend, it is not a matter of if but when, for our academic excellence to be buried for good.
My question to Pantami is, are there any material honor that God had not given him? Is he not contented with all the blessing God had showered on him? What does he need with a professorial title while serving as a minister of the Federal Republic?

Does he have to contribute in undermining the system that propelled him to limelight? Will he sleep well, lead people in prayer, explain the Quran in his Tafsir knowing he is legitimizing academic corruption by accepting a dubious honor which will go a long way in negatively impacting on aspiring youths that look up to people like him as an inspiration?

Well, lest we forget that titles, no matter how numerous, are only your own personal achievement. It is only the legacy you offer or leave behind that made positive impact on the people around you, as neighbors or fellow countrymen, which will eventually matters, in the eyes of God and Man.

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JUST-IN: Court Grants Ex-AGF Malami, Wife, Son ₦1.5bn Bail

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2 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail in the sum of ₦500 million each to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his wife, and his son.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case on Wednesday morning, ruled that each of the defendants must provide two sureties with verified landed properties in any of the highbrow areas of Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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The judge further directed that the documents of the properties must be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. In addition, the sureties are to depose to an affidavit of means to confirm their financial capability.

Justice Nwite also ordered Malami and the co-defendants to deposit their international passports with the court and barred them from travelling outside the country without prior permission.

The ruling came after the trio were arraigned on charges bordering on alleged corruption and abuse of office during Malami’s tenure as Minister of Justice.

Hearing in the case has been adjourned to February 17.

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No Aspirant is Stepping Down for Another in ADC-Atiku

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6 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says no aspirant will withdraw from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential race ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued by Paul Ibe, his media adviser, Abubakar accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to intimidate and weaken the opposition ahead of next year’s elections.

He said all qualified aspirants would “present themselves freely” when the party begins its selection process.

The former vice-president spoke amid reports that he was under pressure to step down for a southern aspirant to emerge as the ADC’s flagbearer.

Abubakar said opposition leaders rallied around the ADC to build a credible national alternative to the ruling party.

“Predictably, agents aligned with the presidency are now attempting to destabilise the ADC from the outside—issuing reckless prescriptions about its internal affairs, particularly the choice of a presidential candidate,” the statement reads.

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“Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other committed patriots, is central to this effort. Any call — overt or covert — for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”

Abubakar stressed that the ADC remained committed to “an open, transparent, and competitive process” for selecting its flagbearer.

He said the party is open to all genuine opposition figures, noting that “inclusiveness—not coercion—is the soul of democracy”.

While reiterating that no one in the party would step down, Abubakar said President Tinubu, whose leadership, he said, has become a “national liability”, should be the one to step down.

“Disruptors and infiltrators must allow the party to do this essential work without interference,” he said.

“When the time comes, all qualified aspirants will present themselves freely. No one is stepping down. If anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu — whose leadership has become a national liability.

“Let there be no ambiguity: the ADC is determined to end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC. No amount of intimidation, intrigue, or sabotage will derail this rescue mission.

“Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight.”

He lamented that Nigerians are suffering in “an era defined by punishing economic policies and shrinking democratic space under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

“True to form, this administration has not only inflicted widespread hardship but has also pursued a calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives. The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party state,” he added.

“Perhaps the Tinubu administration’s most disturbing ‘achievement’ has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the All Progressives Congress—despite its manifest failures—standing alone by default, not by merit.”

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Dr. Odusote Becomes First Female to Head Nigerian Law School, as Tinubu Appoints her DG

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7 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote as the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to head the institution since its establishment in 1962.

The appointment, which takes effect from January 10, 2026, is for a four-year term, according to a statement issued on Tuesday evening by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

Dr Odusote, 57, is currently the Deputy Director-General and Head of the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School. She will succeed Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, whose eight-year tenure expires on January 9, 2026.

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A seasoned legal academic, Odusote obtained her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. She also earned a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the same university, specialising in company and commercial law, before proceeding to the United Kingdom, where she obtained a PhD in Law from the University of Surrey. Her research interests include public law and the administration of justice.

She joined the Nigerian Law School in 2001 as a lecturer and has since held several key positions, including Head of the Academic Department, Director of Academics, and Head of Campus. She also served briefly as a visiting scholar at Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

Dr Odusote has published widely in reputable local and international law journals and has presented scholarly papers at numerous legal education conferences. In addition, she has served on several committees of the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Bar Association.

As Director-General, she will oversee the Nigerian Law School’s academic leadership, administrative management, and strategic direction across its campuses nationwide. She will also serve as the principal link between the institution and key legal bodies, including the Council of Legal Education, the Body of Benchers, and the Nigerian Bar Association.

Her appointment has been widely hailed as a significant step towards gender inclusion and continuity in legal education administration in Nigeria.

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