Mixed Reactions Greet Udom’s Wife’s Doctorate Degree Award

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the recent conferment of an honorary doctorate degree on the wife of Akwa Ibom State governor, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, by the University of Uyo.
The authorities had, last Saturday conferred an honorary doctorate degree of philosophy of Science in Social and Human Development on the wife of the governor, Martha Udom.
According to the vice chancellor, Prof. Enefiok Essien, the approval given by the institution’s senate to honour Mrs. Udom followed her contributions to the development of humanity through her pet project, Family Empowerment and Youth re-orientation path initiative, FEY Rep which, according to him, has led to the inculcation of moral values and encourage youth to rise to the challenges of their time.
However, a human rights advocate and legal practitioner, Inibehe Effiong has condemned the award on the governor’s wife, describing the reasons given by the University authorities as neither convincing nor plausible. According to him, “Mrs. Udom has not made substantial contributions for improvement in human social conditions, development of hidden talents with capacity building among the youths and feats of philanthropy which have touched many lives as wrongly claimed by the University of Uyo.”
Effiong, an alumnus of the university, described the development as a mockery of education, academic freedom and university autonomy for UNIUYO to trivialise honorary doctoral award in this manner. “Mrs. Emmanuel does not deserve this award. Being the wife of a governor should not merit honorary doctoral award.”