[b]Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Dr. Sikiru Lawal on saturday, at Ado Ekiti Study Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) matriculated as one of the students to study law in the institution.
Dr Lawal who already holds a PhD in Educational Management and Financing was admitted into 200 level of the five year programme. He took the matriculation oath at about 10.30 am with other students at the centre, after which the Centre Manager, Professor Olanrewaju David invited him to the high table as one of the Invited Guests.
Introducing the Deputy Governor to other matriculating students, Professor Olanrewaju said Lawal was a shining example of people in positions of authority who availed themselves of the opportunity provided by NOUN to study with relative ease in the face of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Globalisation, urging the students to give a round of applause to their colleague and leader.
In the message of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, read by Professor Olanrewaju to the students, he said "today marks the University’s fourth matriculation ceremony being conducted nation-wide simultaneously at 35 Study centers and should raise the total number of our student population already matriculated since the inception of the University to about 100,000"
The Vice Chancellor explained that "NOUN is an open and distance teaching university that employs all the available resources and infrastructure to deliver flexible learning to students where they are, when how, and by which means they wish to study.
"In other words, learning through NOUN is not bound by any obstacles because our operations seek to take the distance out of your access to education; which for many of you may have been denied by other institutions of higher learning", he said.
Answering questions from newsmen, the Deputy Governor said "I decided to go back to school to study law after having obtained my PhD in fulfilment of my life ambition. After having been education I would want to be learned. In future I can represent myself and people in court. Education is no respecter of age or position."
Asked whether he would use his position to influence his studies, Dr Lawal said "I was a university scholar; I do not need my position for anything. I will read my books and come out in flying colours."[/b]

Why the sensationalism, the man already hold's a PhD in Educational Management and Financing.