1646 Nigerians ask Yale to withdraw minister’s honorary doctorate

monjola sotubo

May 21, 2015 2:42 PM

The petition was started by Sunday Iwalaiye, a Nigerian resident in the United States.

Finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

1,646 Nigerians have signed a Change.org petition asking Yale University to withdraw an honorary doctorate it awarded to Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The petition was started by Sunday Iwalaiye, a Nigerian resident in the United States and is getting more signatures by the minute.

Iwalaiye alleges that Okonjo-Iweala is not deserving of the honorary degree as the Nigerian economy has taken a nose dive since she assumed office as Minister of Finance.

His petition, titled "Yale University Gave Its Prestigious Honorary Doctorate Degree To An Undeserving Nigerian,” reads in part:

“There is no tangible evidence of any economic development in Nigeria under the leadership of Ngozi Iweala in all reality. Nigeria's economy is still an oil-dependent economy that is debt and borrowing ridden as well as 100% consuming and importing in nature.”

“Nigeria's debt profile has risen rapidly under Ngozi Iweala and Nigeria has borrowed over $2 billion in the last four months alone to pay salaries of the federal and state civil servants. Our foreign reserves and excess crude oil accounts have both depleted heavily under Ngozi Iweala.

“The board of regents of this Ivy League school missed it completely by awarding their prestigious honorary doctorate degree to an undeserving Nigerian in all truth, honesty and reality. The Nigeria's economy has remained the same under Ngozi Iweala without any evidence of its diversity from oil.

“The Nigerian Naira crashed to its lowest value in its history under Ngozi Iweala. The true picture that Yale University missed is the fact that the economy of Nigeria has almost grounded to its final halt today which will makes its a daunting task for the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari to meet its campaign promises.”

“The menace of official corruption and financial scandals have both reached their peaks in Nigeria under Ngozi Iweala. A central bank governor was fired for disclosing that $20 billion was missing from the federal coffers and this allegation was investigated in a shady and questionable manner. The oil subsidy scam that cheated Nigeria's tax payers of trillions of Naira was coordinated and supervised by Ngozi Iweala.”

“To give a honorary doctorate degree to an undeserving Nigerian by this world renown university is the biggest slap on the faces of the 180 million Nigerians in 2015.”

“I am using this social medium to appeal to the board of regents of this prestigious university to withdraw this honorary degree that they awarded to this Nigerian immediately and without any further delay for the sake of posterity.”

Dr Okonjo-Iweala was awarded with a Doctorate of Humane Letters on Monday, May 18, 2015 during Yale's Commencement ceremony.

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