The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government’s practice of conferring national honours on politicians.
Obi, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of The Chronicles of a Legend, a biography of business mogul and philanthropist, Gabriel Igbinedion, called for a reform in how the prestigious national awards are bestowed.
He said, “The Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, should be for entrepreneurs and productive people, not politicians.
“We have to change the way we honour people.”
The former Governor of Anambra State praised Igbinedion’s contributions to aviation, education, and the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage, insisting that achievers like him deserve more celebration and recognition from the nation.
He said, “We live in a country where we celebrate people who are supposed not to be celebrated. If we did, the celebration we are giving him today would have been more.”
Highlighting Igbinedion’s legacy as a major employer of labour, Obi said, “If we had been a country that was productive, over 20 million Nigerians would have been employed because Igbinedion employed over 17,000 Nigerians.”
Obi’s remarks come amid public debate over the recent conferral of national honours and cash and house gifts to the Super Falcons following their victory at the African Cup of Nations.
Many Nigerians have argued for equal recognition of individuals contributing to education, health, and national security.
In July, President Bola Tinubu conferred national awards on several Nigerians, both living and deceased, for their roles in the country’s development—a move that drew mixed reactions across the country.
