President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conferment of National honours on 338 Nigerians and friends of Nigeria for their outstanding service to mark the country’s democratic transition process.
Of the number, Akwa Ibom outgoing governor Udom Emmanuel is among the 21 names listed for conferment as Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mrs. Ibiene Roberts, stated this in a circular issued on Sunday in Abuja.
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The circular reads: “There is one person to be conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), 21 names for Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), 78 names for the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
“Others are 85 names for the Officer of the Order of Niger (OON), 52 names for the Member of the Order of Federal Republic (MFR), 22 names for the Member of the Order of Niger (MON, and 3 names for Federal Republic Medal (FRM 1).
“All award recipients are to send hard and soft copies of their citations/resumes to the Secretary, National Honours Award Committee, Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs (FMSDIGA) on or before Wednesday, May.
“They will thereafter come to the FMSDIGA office located at the Federal Secretariat, Phase 1, Central Business District for collection of their Certificates and Medals on Thursday, June 1.”
Notable figures include Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, who was among those honoured with the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
Former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, Mamman Daura, and Central Bank Governor (CBN) Godwin Emefiele were among those awarded the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, Tegbosun III, the Olowu of Kuta, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo were also awarded the Commander of the Order of Niger (CON).
Others include Herbert Wigwe, group chief executive officer, Access Holdings; the late Mohammed Barkindo, former Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary-General; and Chima Nweze, a Supreme Court judge.
Terry Waya, a Nigerian businessman; Wale Edun, an economist and member of the Presidential Transition Committee (PTC), Awele Elumelu, co-founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and chairperson of Avon Medical Practice Limited, were among those listed for the award of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).
They believe that President Buhari, a former army general turned democrat, will be remembered for bestowing this prestigious honour.
Nigerian singer, David Adeleke also known as Davido was honoured with the Order of the Niger.
Speaking at the occasion, President Buhari who was represented at the event which took place at Gen Abdulraman Danbazzau Conference Hall, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Headquarters, Abuja by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the foreign nationals fulfilled all necessary conditions needed to become a Nigerian citizen.
The Nigerian leader noted that his administration has given citizenship to more foreigners than any administration so far, adding that the gesture was to encourage foreign investment and boost the nation’s economy.
On his part, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, called for the review of the Nigerian Constitution to allow more foreign nationals apply for citizenship, while also disclosing that those conferred with the citizenship met the stringent conditions attached to it.
He asked why foreigners will have to wait for 15 years before they can apply for Nigeria citizenship, in contrast to what is obtainable in other countries.
Aregbesola further revealed that a total of 671 foreigners have been conferred with Nigeria citizenship within the past five years.
Aregbesola said ”That we have a high number of foreigners willing to become Nigerians is an indication that the on-going efforts of the Federal Government to make Nigeria a destination for investment and peaceful coexistence is beginning to yield good fruits.
“I must state also that it is under our administration that the largest number of foreigners have been naturalised. “Between 2011 and 2013, a total of 266 foreigners became Nigerians. In 2017,335 people took up Nigerian citizenship. But last year, 286 foreigners and today at this ceremony, 385, making a total of 671 have acquired Nigerian citizenship.
“I am still not pleased with this figure. In Europe and America, thousands of foreigners are inducted into citizenship every year. They do this to attract youths and people in their prime who would like to contribute to the development of their countries.
“The bane of the smooth pathway to Nigerian citizenship however is the constitutional requirement of continuous residency in Nigeria for 15 years.
”This is a huge disincentive, considering that in the United States and most European countries, it is five years. Some of these countries have made a habit of snatching young and resourceful brains – who after four years of schooling and working for just one year – through easy pathways, to obtain quality migration to their countries.
”I will therefore urge the relevant institutions of state to reconsider this in the next effort at amendment to the constitution. We ought to have easier pathways to citizenship for foreigners than currently obtains.”
