There are Mixed reactions over the educational credibility of President
Muhammadu Buhari's latest appointee, Williams Babatunde Fowler, who is
to head Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
A report by online news portal, SaharaReporters, claiming Fowler's
honorary doctorate degree, which he purportedly bagged from a United
Kingdom institution known as “Irish International University” is a fraud
fuelled the reactions, with many blaming the Buhari administration for
negligence, while others are on the defensive.
Shortly, after the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina announced Fowler's
appointment on Thursday, August 20, and reeled out his academic
qualification, a University professor based in the United State Farooq
Kperogi, took to Facebook to discredit the candidate and the
appointment.
He wrote;
“After months of delays, ostensibly to properly vet his appointees,
President Buhari just appointed somebody that may turn out to be a total
fraud. He appointed a certain "Dr." William Babatunde Fowler as the
Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). In a
news release signed by Femi Adesina, this red flag appears on the man's
qualifications: "Fowler, who holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree [sic] of
the Irish International University, is a Fellow of the Chartered
Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and the Business Management Association
of the United Kingdom." Well, Irish International University is a
fraudulent, non-existent university (see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7175730.stm).
“Second, the Committee of Vice Chancellors in Nigeria has ruled that
people with even legitimate honorary doctorates cannot prefix "Dr." to
their names, as is the practice globally (see
http://www.farooqkperogi.com/.../finally-some-good-news...). I fear that
if this Fowler's other qualifications are looked into, a big scandal
may break out. His bachelor's degree, for instance, is said to be from
the "University of Wisconsin" and his master's degree from "California
State University.
“The trouble is, University of Wisconsin and California State University
are multiple-campus universities; you can't just say you attended the
University of Wisconsin without mentioning the location. The University
of Wisconsin has 26 campuses, and California State University has 23
campuses. Something is fishy here!”
However, in a detailed listing of Fowler's education
background,Wikipedia did not mention his 'Honorary Doctorate Degree'
from the Irish International University in its citation.
Furthermore, SR report pointed out that the 'Irish International
University' is operated by a United Kingdom aristocrat, Professor Baron
Knowth, who serves as the Honorary Chancellor of the Irish International
University.
No reactions from neither the Presidency nor Fowler's quarters as at press time.
