The Federal Government of Nigeria annually honoured a select number of citizens that have made sterling contributions to the country over a period of time. Citizens can receive various categories of awards, including the second-highest honour in the land—GCON—Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger—and indeed, there are two current notable figures with this particular award: Dr Mike Adenuga (Jnr) and Alhaji Aliko Dangote. This award is second only to that of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) which is usually given to the country’s President.
Another rather ambiguous matter relating to these awards is the fact that no one knows exactly the criteria required for receiving any of the awards. To be precise, those who have received the GCON usually did not attract any controversy, as their contribution to society was somewhat visible to all and sundry. However, what qualifies someone to get a MON (Member of the Order of the Niger) and not a CON (Commander of the Order of the Niger) or an MFR (Member of the Order of the Federal Republic)? The parameters were unknown and remain unknown.

While some of those honoured were thought by the generality of the population to be deserving of such honour, others were often considered unworthy, as there was nothing concretely expressive of why such honour was bestowed on them. There are those who also believed that such characters got on the honours list simply by virtue of being friends with some of those responsible for compiling the list of awardees.
Deriving from the above, could it be a curious coincidence that since the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the annual national honours ceremony has not been held? In other words, for the past 7 years, no national honour has been bestowed on anyone. Rather interestingly, nobody is complaining, which might suggest that the population is comfortable with this turn of events, not having believed anyway that most of those being honoured in recent memory deserved it.

There is also the associated issue of those who ought to be honoured but were often inexplicably left out. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them. However, let us just take the case of a celebrated Nigerian table tennis player named Bose Kaffo. In a recent interview with a Nigerian internet-based radio station, Boom Radio NG, Bose reeled out many of her accomplishments, some of which include:
• 12-time African Table Tennis Champion in the Women Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Teams events.
• Winning 7 gold medals in singles and doubles events at six consecutive All African Games from 1987-2007.
• Second Nigerian female athlete to compete at 5 Olympic Games from 1992-2008 (after celebrated sprinter, Mary Onyali)
• Appointed International Table Tennis Coach/Expert for The Gambia, Lesotho, South Africa and Tanzania.
• Variously being part of the Nigerian female table tennis team that were African champions for 20 consecutive years.

Successive Nigerian governments seemed only interested in identifying with and honouring football players. Even at that, they focused only on the male teams. Just like Bose Kaffo’s sterling performance and achievements, the Nigerian female soccer team—the Super Falcons— has won the African Women Cup of Nations for a record 11 times as follows:

Despite winning 11 editions of the competition, the superlative Super Falcons have never been honoured with national awards. This is both shocking and unbelievable. In fact, the Nigerian female team set the stage for the development of female football on the African continent and have dominated all three categories (cadet, junior and senior) of the competition.

Read the full article at www.gaskiya.net
Photo credit: Courtesy Brilla Sports NG

Shinor:
The Federal Government of Nigeria annually honoured a select number of citizens that have made sterling contributions to the country over a period of time. Citizens can receive various categories of awards, including the second-highest honour in the land—GCON—Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger—and indeed, there are two current notable figures with this particular award: Dr Mike Adenuga (Jnr) and Alhaji Aliko Dangote. This award is second only to that of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) which is usually given to the country’s President.
Another rather ambiguous matter relating to these awards is the fact that no one knows exactly the criteria required for receiving any of the awards. To be precise, those who have received the GCON usually did not attract any controversy, as their contribution to society was somewhat visible to all and sundry. However, what qualifies someone to get a MON (Member of the Order of the Niger) and not a CON (Commander of the Order of the Niger) or an MFR (Member of the Order of the Federal Republic)? The parameters were unknown and remain unknown.

While some of those honoured were thought by the generality of the population to be deserving of such honour, others were often considered unworthy, as there was nothing concretely expressive of why such honour was bestowed on them. There are those who also believed that such characters got on the honours list simply by virtue of being friends with some of those responsible for compiling the list of awardees.
Deriving from the above, could it be a curious coincidence that since the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the annual national honours ceremony has not been held? In other words, for the past 7 years, no national honour has been bestowed on anyone. Rather interestingly, nobody is complaining, which might suggest that the population is comfortable with this turn of events, not having believed anyway that most of those being honoured in recent memory deserved it.

There is also the associated issue of those who ought to be honoured but were often inexplicably left out. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them. However, let us just take the case of a celebrated Nigerian table tennis player named Bose Kaffo. In a recent interview with a Nigerian internet-based radio station, Boom Radio NG, Bose reeled out many of her accomplishments, some of which include:
• 12-time African Table Tennis Champion in the Women Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Teams events.
• Winning 7 gold medals in singles and doubles events at six consecutive All African Games from 1987-2007.
• Second Nigerian female athlete to compete at 5 Olympic Games from 1992-2008 (after celebrated sprinter, Mary Onyali)
• Appointed International Table Tennis Coach/Expert for The Gambia, Lesotho, South Africa and Tanzania.
• Variously being part of the Nigerian female table tennis team that were African champions for 20 consecutive years.

Successive Nigerian governments seemed only interested in identifying with and honouring football players. Even at that, they focused only on the male teams. Just like Bose Kaffo’s sterling performance and achievements, the Nigerian female soccer team—the Super Falcons— has won the African Women Cup of Nations for a record 11 times as follows:

Despite winning 11 editions of the competition, the superlative Super Falcons have never been honoured with national awards. This is both shocking and unbelievable. In fact, the Nigerian female team set the stage for the development of female football on the African continent and have dominated all three categories (cadet, junior and senior) of the competition.

Read the full article at www.gaskiya.net
Photo credit: Courtesy Brilla Sports NG

good afternoon sir, you sent me a pm probably regarding my post. However I don't have access to the mail any longer.
I can be reached at
Soloade95@gmail.com or 08139.974.36.8

Thank you sir