President Mahama prefers to use Mr
A day after receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, President John Dramani Mahama says he does not want to be addressed as "Dr".
He prefers to maintain "Mr John Dramani Mahama".
President Mahama took to Facebook last Saturday to declare his decision.
But he was appreciative of the messages he had received from Ghanaians after the ceremony at the university.
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"It is, indeed, a great honour, but I wish to remain & be addressed as Mr John Dramani Mahama and not Dr Mahama. Thanks - JM," he wrote on his Facebook wall.
He also thanked the university for the honour done him.
Earlier honours
In the history of Ghanaian politics, Presidents, especially those of the Fourth Republic, have been honoured with degrees by foreign universities.
For President Mahama, the University of Ilorin in Nigeria conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree on him.
And when he was a Vice-President, an honorary doctorate in Public Administration was conferred on him by the Ekiti State University (formerly the Obafemi Awolowo University) in Nigeria in recognition of his "politico-socio economic development of Ghana and Africa at various stages of his political career".
On both occasions, he did not use the "Dr" title.
Nkrumah
Only President Kwame Nkrumah was addressed as "Dr" after receiving an honorary doctorate.
In 1951, at the age of 39, Nkrumah received a Doctor of Laws degree (honoris causa) from the Lincoln University in the USA and used the title from that time.
Rawlings
Former President Jerry John Rawlings is the recipient of five honorary degrees but he does not use "Dr" with his name.
When he was President, he received an honorary doctorate in Diplomacy and Development from the Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Glasgow.
He was also honoured by the Jaoan's Soko University.
Back home, two universities conferred honorary degrees on him
The first was in 2013 when the University for Development Studies (UDS) conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters on the former President in recognition of his contribution towards the founding and establishment of the university in 1992.
Again in 2014, the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) awarded him an honorary doctorate degree at a special congregation.
Kufuor
In 2013, former President John Agyekum Kufuor received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland for his contribution to international development.
He also received similar doctorate degrees from the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana.
Mr Kufuor had, earlier in 2009, been conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by the Bells University of Technology in the State of Ota, Nigeria.
On all occasions, he did not use "Dr" with his name.
