Obasanjo bags PhD in Christian Theology from NOUN

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was yesterday pronounced worthy in character and learning for the award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Christian Theology. The pronouncement was made after he spent 163 minutes to defend his voluminous dissertation before a six-man academic panel.

He got the degree from the Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abeokuta Study Centre, Ogun State.Obasanjo’s PhD thesis is titled: Resolving The Unfinished Agenda in Liberation Theology: Leadership, Poverty And Underdevelopment In North Eastern Nigeria.

The former president, with matriculation number: NOU 146058901 submitted the thesis as part of the requirements for the award of a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology.

Members of the defence panel were Prof. Deji Ayegboyin (Major Supervisor), Dr. Mustapha Raheem Adejoro (Head of Department, Religious Studies), Prof. Nebath Tanglang (School of Postgraduate Studies), Dr. Samaila Mande (Dean, Postgraduate School), Prof. Godwin Akper (Internal Supervisor and Dean, Faculty of Arts) and Prof. Cletus Gotan (External Supervisor).

Asked by 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 rigour to produce his work based on diligent guide and supervision from his teachers and supervisors.

At the end of the defense, Mande declared Obasanjo worthy of the degree, stressing that he had satisfied the requirements and thus qualified for the award of Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology of NOUN.

Mande said it was a thing of joy to him as the former President was one of the pioneer students to receive a PhD in Christian Theology under his management and expressed the confidence that the feat would be celebrated during the NOUN convocation.