By Eric Elezuo

A total of 437 persons, including seven foreigners, have been listed by President Muhammadu Buhari, to be rewarded at the Nigeria’s National Honours Awards 2022 scheduled for October 11 at the State House, Abuja.

The list of nominees, which hit the media space on Sunday, has since gone viral on the Internet, amid knocks, kudos and congratulatory messages from a cross section of Nigerians. Some have argued that the cabibre of Nigerians honoured are deserving of the award while others have described the awards and awardees as padi padi, accusing Buhari of assembling his friends and loyalists for honours.

Among those who made the list were politicians, public servants, businessmen, scholars, security officers, senior lawyers, traditional and religious leaders as well as deceased persons.

The Punch quoted the President of YIAGA Foundation, Samson Itodo, as saying that “The President has the prerogative to confer national awards on Nigerians, or individuals who have contributed to national development, and who have also distinguished themselves.

“Those given these awards, ideally, should be icons that people see and revere and want to emulate those qualities that they have. But if you give these awards to people who, morally, don’t have the capital to hold those awards, Nigerians would not recognise or take those seriously.”

In his response as well, the Convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, Dare-Ariyo Atoye, who also spoke to The Punch, noted that there should be guidelines for choosing the awardees.

“The national award should not be an award that should be used to settle political scores. It should not be an award for vendetta. It should not be an award to serve narrow interests. But it should be an award to indeed appreciate the ingenuity of selected Nigerians, who have served the country meritoriously, so that carriers of these awards can be seen as ambassadors of this country, based on values, based on good deeds,” he said.

Notable among deceased recipients is the former Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who died in 2020 following complications from COVID-19, and DIG Joseph Egbunike, who died in active service.

While there are five Nigerians, who made the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) category including President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola; the immediate past CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad; Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations, Amina Mohammed, 54 others were considered for Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) and 67 for the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Others are 64 for Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), 101 for Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), 75 for Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), 56 for Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and eight for Federal Republic Medal (FRM).

The awardees include serving and former governors, serving and former presiding officers of the National Assembly, serving and former Chief Justices of Nigeria and serving and former members of the National Assembly.

Others are serving and former service chiefs, traditional rulers, retired public servants, lawyers, philanthropists, businessmen, ministers and members of the academia.

Some prominent Nigerians on the CFR list include Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor; former Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Appeal Court president, Monica Mensem, former Army Chief, Tukur Buratai, and serving military chiefs

Others are Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, his predecessor, Mohammed Adamu, Emir of Lafia, Sidi Bage, and Tor Tiv, James Ayatse.

Some nominees in the CON category of national honours are the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede and state governors such as Mai Mala-Buni (Yobe), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna).

Others are Babagana Zulum (Borno), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives; Idris Wase, Finance minister, Zainab Ahmed and her works counterpart, Babatunde Fashola, amongst others.

Nominees in the OFR category include Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, CEO of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, Nasiru Bayero and Muiz Banire. Others are Ishaq Bello, Aliyu El-Nafaty and Kehinde Aina, amongst others.

In the OON category, most National Assembly members such as Alhassan Doguwa, Muktar Betara, Ndudi Elumelu and Nkiruka Onyejeocha made the list.

Others are a former Permanent Secretary, Sunday Echono, NBA President Yakubu Maikyau, Sarki Abba and Sabiu (Tunde) Yusuf, amongst others.

Sanusi Lemu, late DIG Joseph Egunike (posthumous), Haliru Nababa and Burna Boy. Others are Simon Shango, Billy Okoye, Akwa Okon and Emeka Agbanari, amongst others made the MFR list.

The likes of 2Face Idibia, Shehu Othman, Teni the entertainer and Abubakar Maikano berthed on the MON category.

Additional information from Premium Times