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Honours will be withdrawn.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.
www.channelstv.com/home/2012/09/17/fg-to-withdraw-national-honour-from-holders-with-questionable-character/

Every right thinkable Nigerian should
likes wisely reject that so call
National Honours as Proff Achebe
did.