Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE and SEYE OJO, Ibadan on
Former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, has faulted the the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) which was last year conferred on the Senate President, David Mark, by President Umaru Yar'Adua.
Former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, has faulted the the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) which was last year conferred on the Senate President, David Mark, by President Umaru Yar'Adua.
He noted that the Federal Government goofed with the award. According to him, Senator Mark did not deserve the honour on merit. President Yar'Adua had conferred 211 Nigerians with the 2007 national honours in which the Senate President was honoured with the second highest honour in the country along with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi.
Adesina who dropped the bombshell while accepting a Distinguished Honourary Membership Award conferred on him by the state branch of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at a dinner organized to round-off the association's 2008 Annual General Meeting held at Ibadan, he reasoned that Senator Mark should have been allowed to complete his term before such a first class honour would be given to him, saying anything could still happen before he completes his term in the senate.
His words: 'I am surprised that the title honours in Nigeria have been bastardized, even the so called national honours. National honours are not supposed to be given to just anybody. It is after you have performed and you have left office that it should be given.
'I make bold to say that Senator David Mark did not deserve the honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) conferred on him on merit. The title is the second highest honour in the country while that of president of the Federal Republic is the highest. He did not deserve it when he had not completed his term. The National honours have been bastardized. What has Senator Mark done for the country for him to be honoured with that highest title?
'Is it because he was elected senator and later a President of the Senate? Is it because of that, he was given the highest honour? Has he completed his term? Have we seen what he will do?
'Just because he was elected Senate President, then you gave him that honour. I think what they should have done is to have allowed Mark to complete his term and let Nigerians see what he has done before he can be honoured.
'Alright, what of if Etteh, (former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Olubunmi Etteh), had been given the same honour before she was forcefully removed as the Speaker, will they withdraw it from her?
'Those who are awarding national honours are not doing any serious thinking. It is true that Federal Government has solid criteria for anybody to be conferred with national honour, but those who are giving out the awards are not following the criteria. The criteria are good, but federal government is not following it. The honours have been politicized."