Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, has attacked the Federal Government’s habit of bestowing national accolades on politicians.
Obi, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of The Chronicles of a Legend, a biography of business magnate and philanthropist Gabriel Igbinedion, advocated for a change in the way prominent national awards are granted.
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 lauded Igbinedion’s services to aviation, education, and the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural legacy, arguing that achievers like him deserve more national celebration and acknowledgement.
He said, “We live in a country where we celebrate people who are not supposed 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 comments came after widespread outrage over the recent awarding of national accolades, cash, and housing gifts to the Super Falcons following their victory in the African Cup of Nations.
Many Nigerians have advocated for equal acknowledgement of persons who contribute to education, health, and national security.
In July, President Bola Tinubu bestowed national awards on numerous Nigerians, both alive and deceased, for their contributions to the country’s growth, prompting diverse emotions across the country.
