Controversial Honours

Katsina Aloysius-Alu

The 2009 National Honours Award list appears to parade contentious names
By Bayo Bernard
For the cold hands of death, the grim riper that snatched former President Umaru Yar’Adua on May 5, 2010, some prominent Nigerians who were last week honoured for this year’s National Honours Awards (NHA) would have missed out of the prestigious honours. The late president was said to have ordered that some names be dropped from the list submitted to him, as he expressed reservations over their integrity. Thus, following his passage, the responsibility was shifted to President Goodluck Jonathan to give approval on who should be decorated with the enviable awards. But not a few Nigerians have reservations over some of the recipients, some believe that the original list was adjusted to accommodate some interests, especially following the recent political events in the country.
In summary, 186 individuals last Thursday received the 2009 National Honours Awards (NHA), as a critical look at the list showed that most of the awardees were public and political office holders.
Nigerians honoured with various categories of the NHA include Mike Akhigbe, a retired Admiral and former Chief of General Staff. He was awarded the Grand Commander of Nigeria (GCON). Another respected awardee in this category is Justice Katsina Aloysius-Alu, the Chief Justice of the Federation. Former Senate President in the Second Republic, Joseph Wayas also made the list. He was honoured in the GCON category.
Nigeria’s number one banker and Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and Diesel Magnate and chairman of African Petroleum, Femi Otedola also made the list in the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) category. The chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC), Farida Waziri received the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) honour.
Also, a serving state governor made the 2009 list. Kwara State governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, Bukola Saraki is among 27 others that received the CON honours. Others in this category include Olufolake Solanke, first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
This year’s award is unique in the sense that, unlike what obtained in the past, the transition of power experienced after the late President Yar’Adua’s demise was said to have played a major role. It is also the first time two Presidents will preside over the list.
To suit the taste of the Jonathan presidency, the original list approved by the former president was said to have been adjusted. In the process, some personalities were believed to have been substituted, demoted in the ranking of the titles while some were said to have been outrightly removed.
Nevertheless, the awardee line-up appears to contain the names of the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of the recipients are considered underserving of the honour by not a few Nigerians.
Thirteen awardees also received the CFR; 27 got CON; 43 were awarded with the OFR honours.
In the category of Order of the Niger (OON), 46 indiviuals were honoured, while 22 others got Member of the Federal Republic (MFR); Twenty individuals were honoured with Member of the Niger (MON), four others got Federal Republic Medal 1, and three recipients were honoured with the least honours of Federal Republic Medal II. To cap it all, General Haliru Akilu (rtd), the dreaded spy man during the military regime of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida also made the list. Akilu received the CON honours. The hightest national honour, the Grand commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) was bestowed on president Goodluck Jonathan by the Council of state about three months ago. This category is reserved for only the president.