Vice President Kashim Shettima and a self-taught ‘engineer,’ Malam Hadi Shehu have been awarded honourary doctorates by the Gombe State University.

The Senate of the University also conferred honourary doctorates on five other distinguished Nigerians.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Aliyu Usman El-Nafaty, disclosed this on Friday during a press conference ahead of the 10^th, 11^th, 12^thand 13^thconvocation ceremonies of the university.

The university would award honourary doctorates to Prof. Idris Mohammed, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, former Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, former TETFund Board of Trustees Chairman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam and late Major General Timothy Shelpedi, former Commander of the ECOMOG.

El-Nafaty stated that the university governing council and senate identified the seven distinguished Nigerians for their contribution to humanity in the cause of discharging their duties.

He added that 116 students bagged first class, 1,511 second class upper, 3,326 with second class lower, 801 got third class while 162 had pass.

The vice chancellor, however, lamented that despite high number of applications from prospective students, the university could only admit 47 per cent of the applicants, “due to inadequate physical infrastructure, high inflation rates and high running cost among others.” (Vanguard)