So former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday bagged the award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Christian Theology from the Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts of the National Open University of Nigeria(NOUN), Abeokuta Study Centre, Ogun State.
Obasanjo was pronounced worthy and competent for the award after 163 minutes robust defence of his voluminous thesis before a six – man panel.
Obasanjo’s PhD Thesis is titled: “Resolving the Unfinished Agenda in Liberation Theology: Leadership, Poverty and Underdevelopment in North Eastern Nigeria.”
The ex- President whose matriculation number reads NOU 146058901, submitted the thesis to his department as part of the requirements for the award of a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Christian Theology.
We gathered that,the panelists are Prof. Deji Ayegboyin(Major Supervisor), Dr. Mustapha Raheem Adejoro,( Head of Department, Religious Studies,NOUN), Prof. Nebath Tanglang(School of Postgraduate Studies, NOUN), Dr. Samaila Mande(Dean, Postgraduate School,NOUN), Prof. Godwin Akper (Internal Supervisor and Dean, Faculty of Arts,NOUN) and Prof. Cletus Gotan(External Supervisor).
Asked by Dr. Samaila Mande, who chaired the panel, to justify in a nutshell why he should be awarded a PhD degree of the institution, Obasanjo said he had put in “enough study” and “intellectual rigours” to produce his work based on diligent guide and supervision from his teachers and supervisors.
And speaking on behalf of the Panel at the end of the final defence, Dr. Mande said the Obasanjo has satisfied the requirements and thus qualified for the award of Doctor of Philosophy degree in Christian Theology of NOUN.
Mande said it was a thing joy to him as the ex – President happened to be one of the pioneer students to bag PhD in Christian Theology under his management, expressing the confidence that the feat would be well celebrated during the NOUN convocations.