Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has faulted the Federal Government’s continued practice of awarding national honours to politicians, calling instead for recognition of individuals who have made tangible contributions to national development.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the public presentation of “The Chronicles of a Legend,” a biography of business magnate and philanthropist Gabriel Igbinedion, Obi advocated for a review of how national awards are conferred.
“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,” Obi said. “We have to change the way we honour people.”
He commended Igbinedion for his impact in key sectors such as aviation, education, and cultural preservation, insisting that individuals like him are more deserving of national honours and greater public recognition.
“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,” Obi said.
He also highlighted Igbinedion’s role in job creation, noting the businessman’s vast contribution to employment.
“If we had been a country that was productive, over 20 million Nigerians would have been employed because Igbinedion employed over 17,000 Nigerians,” the former Anambra State governor said.
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