The popular saying that “honesty is the best policy” will be made manifest on Tuesday when President Muhammadu Buhari will reward some Nigerians who have shown that a good name is better than gold.
A security guard, Mallam Musa Usman, from Jigawa State; a cleaner, Ms. Josephine Agu, from Imo State, and a bank security guard, Ogbanago Muhammed Ibrahim, are on the list of 437 nominees for the 2022 National Honours Awards. They will be awarded Federal Republic Medal (FRM) II.
Agu works as a cleaner at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja. She’s being rewarded for her honesty and integrity in returning $12,200 she found in a toilet at the airport, ditto Ibrahim who found and returned $10,000.
Also on the list are Dr. Samuel Ankeli, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disabilities Matters, Mon, and three physically challenged persons – Barr. Danlam1 Umaru Basharu, Hajia Rabi Y. Gezawa, and Chief Samuel Okubanjo, who will be honoured with Member of the Order of the Niger, MON.
Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria every year. They were instituted by the National Honors Act No. 5 of 1964, during the First Republic, to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the benefit of the nation.
The list of all the nominees includes politicians, public officers, security officers, businessmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders, foreigners and some Nigerians who are now late.
The awards will be presented to the nominees by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday11, at an event scheduled to hold at the State House, Abuja.
According to the list sighted by Sunday Vanguard, five persons — Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola; former CJN, Tanko Muhammad; Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, are nominated for Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON.
Expectedly, seven foreigners who have one way or the other, contributed to the peace, growth and development of Nigeria will also be appreciated. They include Pierre Vandebeeck, Chairman and Managing Director, Société d’Investissement pour l’Agriculture Tropicale (Siat); Ronald Chagoury, Founder, Chagoury Group; and Deepak Singhal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tolaram Africa. Others include Dr. Attia A. Nasreddin, Chief Nabil A. Saleh (JP), and Mr. Faysal M. El-Khalil. They all will receive the OFR award.
Those listed for the award of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) are 54 in number among them are the late Abba Kyari, former Chief of Staff; the late Ibrahim Attahiru, former Chief of Army Staff; Monica Dongban-Mensem, President of the Court of Appeal; Oladayo Amao, Chief of Air Staff, among others.
Others are Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, 67; Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, 64; Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, 101; Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, 75; Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, 56; and Federal Republic Medal, FRM 8.