The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday criticised President Bola Tinubu for conferring the visiting Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with the Nigerian second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.
The PDP’s backlash comes a few hours after Tinubu conferred Modi with the highest honour in the land during the Nigeria/India Bilateral meeting held at the Presidential, Abuja.
Tinubu said the award was bestowed on the Indian Prime Minister as a show of appreciation for their partnership and bilateral relationship.
Tinubu said, “Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India. We work to deepen and broaden the same to the mutual benefit of our two friendly countries. You have been doing a good job historically. Winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much.
“I will confer on you today the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This is to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner.”
However, the PDP expressed dissatisfaction in Tinubu, questioning why he chose to bestow the second highest national distinction in the republic on the basis of friendship.
Timothy Osadolor, a member of the PDP National Working Committee highlighted that, while the President has the authority and responsibility to bestow a national accolade on anyone, there must be criteria to demonstrate why they deserve it.
“It is not something you dish out for the sake of friendship and all of that. I don’t know what the Indian Prime Minister has done to have warranted such an honour. But this is the second highest honour in the land. It is a misplacement of priorities.
“I would have thought that the President should have asked the Indian Prime Minister how the Indian economy has been able to move away from being the poverty capital of the world to being one of the fastest growing economies in the world now. The biggest tech moguls across the globe at the moment are all Indians.
“Just look at Microsoft, the Silicon Valley in America, and startups. They are all being run and set up by Indians. I would have thought that Tinubu, in a bid to shore up the lacuna his cabinet lacks, would have been humble enough to ask the Prime Minister to offer him a clue as to how to help his government and Nigerians. Not dishing out unnecessary awards that the man doesn’t need other than for pictures and commentary,” he said.
Continuing, the PDP chieftain lashed out at the current administration, claiming that it would not stop playing to the gallery with some of its claimed antics.
The PDP chieftain also wondered if the President had the time to ask the visiting Prime Minister and his entourage the correct questions about investments and how Nigeria may learn from India to get out of its current situation.
“Are we asking the right questions, seeking the right investments, and pushing for the right policies? But the distraction from this administration is becoming one too many. I think President Tinubu should wake up from these media gimmicks and focus on the real issues.
“Nigerians are hungry and dying. The technologies the Indians are currently deploying globally will help a great deal to solve most of these basic challenges.”
