Buhari to confer national honour awards on 437 nominees

President Muhammadu Buhari would on October 11 confer various categories of national honour awards on deserving Nigerians.

The event would be part of series of activities to mark Nigeria’s 62nd independence anniversary.

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Daily Trust reports that the Nigerian National Honours, in order of importance are: Order of the Federal Republic, consisting of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).

Also, in the Order of the Niger, are Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), and Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).

The GCFR and GCON are customarily reserved and bestowed on former President and Vice President of Nigeria, including former military heads of state of Nigeria and Chiefs of General Staff.

The GCON is also customarily bestowed on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Nigerian Senate during their first year in office, while the CON is customarily bestowed on Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The 2022 list includes politicians, public officers, security officials, diplomats, academia, businessmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders and legal practitioners among others, have the GCON with five recipients; CFR, 54; CON, 67; OFR, 64; OON, 101; MFR, 75; MON 56; FRM, 8.

A former Chief of Army Staff, late Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, is among those that would be honoured posthumously among the list of nominees for the awards 2022, which would be presented by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House Abuja.

The five conferred with GCON are Senate President Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan; Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola; immediate past CJN, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad (Rtd); former Minister of Finance and currently Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala; and a former Minister of Environment and currently UN, Deputy Secretary General, Ms Amina J. Mohammed.

Also is the conferment of the Commander of the Order of Federal Republic (CFR) on the 19th Emir of Zazzau, His Highness Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli and Registrar of JAMB, Prof Is-haq Oloyede with CON among others.