FG to withdraw national honour from holders with questionable character

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday directed the national honours committee to compile a list of persons conferred with national honours whose current credibility is questionable.

The president gave the directive in Abuja while addressing Nigerians after the investiture on 155 persons who received the 2012 national honours .

He said: “I have directed that the National Honours Committee to compile a list of persons conferred with National Honours but that their current credibility is questionable. If they are found wanting, our prestigious Honours will be withdrawn.

“This is essential in ensuring that holders of National Honours are truly worthy representations of our national values and honour, and especially are patriotic Nigerians or real friends of Nigeria.”

He implored the 2012 recipients of the national honours to sustain the tempo of their performance because they provide hope for the future generation who look up to them as role models.

Some of the recipients of this year’s awards include the Chairman of Globalcom, Mike Adenuga, who was conferred with the highest honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) as well as Mohammed Zakari of the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, who was honoured for the display of honesty by returning the sum N6 million overpayment made to him.

Apart from Misters Adenuga and Zakari, Mr Jonathan decorated eleven others including six Supreme Court judges with Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), 25 distinguished Nigerians received the award of Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) – the recipient included state governors, senators, ministers and accomplished bankers.

However two of the retired jurists – Justice Kayode Eso and Justice Andrews Obaseki – were absent at the investiture ceremony.

The president further decorated 24 Nigerians with Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) award-some of the recipients included directors general in the civil service and politicians.

38 others won the honours of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) they include civil servants, other directors and business men, while another group of 38 received the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) -they include public servants, politicians, military personnel and even traditional rulers.

The high point of the awards was the inclusion of the 6 Paralympic athletes, who won gold medal in the just concluded London 2012 Olympics, on the award list. They were each conferred with the Member of the Order of Niger (MON) award.

President Jonathan told the Olympics gold medallists that the national honours bestowed on them comes with great responsibility calling on them to see it as a privilege and not a right.

The name of the Deputy governor of Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi, which was 51 on the list of nominees to be honoured with the award of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) was skipped.

Also absent was Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi but was represented by his wife.