Victor EzejaPresident Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, conferred national honours award on 449 Nigerians and foreigners.
The awards investiture ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, had in attendance the Nigeria’s vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari; Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, many ministers including the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, traditional rulers, among others.
The awardees received various honours ranging from the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger to Federal Republic Medals.
Among the people awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) are Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina Muhammad; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof Tijjani Muhammad-Bande; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, and immediate past CJN, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.
The GCON is Nigeria’s second highest national honours.
The House of Representatives Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the deputy senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, Secretary to Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, Head of Service of the Federation Folashade Yemi-Esan and former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, among others received Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Others awarded the CFR are former Chief of Staff to the President, the Late Abba Kyari (Post humous), former Army Chief of Staff, the late Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru (Post Humous), Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, among others.
Also, some of the awardees of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) include Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State amongst others.
Other categories of award given to distinguished Nigerians include Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and Federal Republic Medal awards.
Seven foreigners received OFR honours award.
Governor Okowa Thanks Buhari for the honour
Delta State governor who received the CON award has expressed his gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for considering him worthy of the honour.
In a Twitter post on Tuesday afternoon, Okowa thanked the national award committee for the success of the event and also congrulated other award recipients.
” I thank President Muhammadu Buhari, and the National Honours Awards Committee for my investiture, earlier today, as a Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) — in recognition of my contributions to the development of the nation.
“I congratulate all recipients of the various categories of National Awards. I must say that I am humbled by this recognition and pledge to continue to play my role to make Nigeria a better nation that lives up to its full potential,” he stated in his official Twitter handle @IAOkowa.
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Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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