Ignorance, ego in misunderstanding of names & titles in Africa

Gbenga Adeoye 

By Gbenga Adeoye 

I have listened to many people in Nigeria who, when you ask them to tell you their name, you hear words like "My name is Dr. XYZ," "My name is Prof. XYZ," or "My name is Chief XYZ."

In fact, I recall some years ago, someone was introduced, and the person got so angry that "Otunba" was omitted in his name.

Let me correct this wrong notion: Profession is not a name, and title is not a name.

You hear people say, "I am Surveyor XYZ." No — it is wrong. It should be, for example, "My name is Gbenga Adeoye. I am a Land or Estate Surveyor & Valuer." (The author is not a surveyor, please.)

This desire for title is a sign of emptiness, and it has entered the church too.

Some want to be addressed as Evangelist XYZ… even young boys singing here and there now add the prefix of "Evangelist this" and "that."

This is what inferiority complex and ego are doing to us in Africa.

In the US, I recall, even we executive students that came to Harvard for a short time addressed our lecturers by first name. We call them Mike, John… etc. You hear words like:

"Join me as I welcome John Bedford. John is a Professor of Business Management."

Great men like Bro Gbile Akanni are still “brothers.”

Small boys are now Apostles — despite having no spiritual results to show — they just want to copy some Apostles who have real results to show for their labour.

Some people who are now called Apostles and Bishops — even in their hearts — know they do not carry such titles in their work with God. It is fake, until it becomes real.

I know a billionaire who cautioned somebody to address him by his name and not add "Alhaji" to it.

My concern rose when I watched the Senate screening of a nominee who got angry that his name is Professor XYZ, and they had been addressing him as Mr XYZ.

This is a very serious problem in Nigeria and Africa.

There is a level you will get to that your title becomes attached to your name when people want to mention your name. That is a level that Prof. Wole Soyinka had gotten to many years ago.

The likes of Pastor E.A Adeboye and Pastor Kumuyi are at that level too, where anyone who wants to mention their names finds it uncomfortable not to add that prefix.

I do hear people ignorantly say, “Point of correction. My name is not Mr XYZ... My name is Dr XYZ or Prof XYZ... or Engr XYZ... or Chief or Otunba XYZ.”

The point of correction is to you because you do not know the difference between what a name is and what a prefix or title is.

Here is the way to answer a question like “Tell us your name and who you are” or “Give a brief about yourself”:

"I am Olugbenga Adeyemi ADEOYE. I am from Ogun State.

I am a Professor of Accounting or Law or Medicine at XYZ University." (hypothetical example)

As a matter of fact, if the question ends at your name, you just say, "I am Gbenga Adeoye."

This misconception was properly addressed by Adams Oshiomhole — that “Professor” is not part of your name — during the Senate committee screening of a nominated INEC commissioner. (Although I wish he spoke more about it.)

I hear people say: “I am Senator XYZ.” That is very wrong!

Rather, you should say: “I am Olugbenga Adeyemi Adeoye, Senator representing XYZ Constituency of XYZ State.”

The honour of prefix attachment to your name is better done by people — not you — when people ask for your name.

Please, let no one get me wrong. I am an advocate of the fact that if you truly earned your PhD, put it on your card. Even if you have written “Dr XYZ,” I argue that “PhD” showing on your card is what differentiates you from the bastardised honorary doctorate degrees around Nigeria where everybody now calls themselves “Dr XYZ.” But if you add PhD in front, then we would know your doctorate is a result of hard work and research.

I do know, of course, that there are people who didn’t go for proper study or research, and all of a sudden, you just hear them say they now have a PhD…

You only need to ask them a few questions to know they are fake PhD holders, such as:

i. What was your research based on?

ii. Who supervised your thesis?

iii. Who was your external examiner?

iv. Who was your internal examiner?

v. What was the addition you added to knowledge?

vi. When was your doctorate declared?

vii. How was your Pre-Field?

viii. How was your Post-Field?

ix. How was your Oral?

If you ask someone who bought a PhD or is holding a fake PhD any of the above questions, you will see them confused — because they never studied nor carried out any research to get it.

It is very worrisome that in various departments of our institutions of higher learning in Africa, there are people holding fake certificates and yet working as lecturers. How then do you want to end examination malpractice?

These are the kinds of lecturers that demand money from students.

I understand we even have such people in secondary schools as teachers now!

Teachers who sell grades to students in high schools. Men and women without conscience. Those who cannot give them money will get low scores.

It is better not to have enough teachers or lecturers than have people who compromise academic standards.

No wonder most high school students see cheating in WAEC, NECO, or JAMB exams as a way — because evil teachers have made them believe you must buy grades.

CONCLUSION 

Title is not a name, and let us know that profession is also not a name.

While we give honour to whom honour is due, we must find a way to flush out fake degree holders from our system.

We must focus on having men with integrity and truthfulness as teachers so that we can produce graduates with character — not just mere certificates, with too many dishonest and wild people around.

The Author, Gbenga Adeoye, is a Lawyer and Chartered Accountant with a PhD in Management Accounting and an LLM in International Business Law.

He can be reached via email at:[dga@gbengaadeoye.com]

(mailto: dga@gbengaadeoye.com)