The University of Education, Winneba has postponed the planned doctorate award for the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof Mike Oquaye until further notice.

This comes after some concerns from President of IMANI-Africa, Franklin Cudjoe about the planned award for the Speaker.

A statement issued by the University on its portal announced the postponement of the Special congregation albeit no clear date was given in the interim.

According to the statement, a new date will be communicated in due course.

IMANI’s Cudjoe last week wrote to discourage the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof Mike Oquaye from accepting an intended honorary doctorate degree award from the University of Education, Winneba.

According to Franklin Cudjoe, the said award in honour of the revered Speaker will rather dishonour him, as a result of the blot and confusion that has rocked the Institution.

In correspondence to the Speaker of the House, and copied to the leadership, IMANI’s president said it’s likely such a decision was at best promoted by one half of the University’s leadership, adding an important honorary doctorate degree award of that nature must not be mired in needless controversy.

“It has come to our attention that current management and leadership of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) are considering conferring on you an honorary doctorate degree award. Ordinarily, reasonable people can agree that our Speaker of Parliament deserves such honour even if glaringly superfluous, compared to the stature of those you have received in your illustrious life, so far well-lived.

“Sadly, I should discourage you from accepting the UEW honours, at least until the reported charges and accusations of open defiance of our courts, precociously tailored opprobrium of senior statesmen and crucially the seeming illegitimacy of the current leadership as evidenced from the protracted legal battles it is saddled with are completely dealt with.

“If you must need and indeed accept any new honours, they must add immense value above your current impeccable credentials- Further, any such grace to be bestowed on Rt. Honourable Speaker must not come from controversial quarters where perennial leadership struggle has been so bitter and likely to impugn professional academic integrity.”