JUST-IN: Reps Reject CFR National Honour For Speaker Abbas, Demand GCON

The House of Representatives has rejected the proposed conferment of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) national honour on the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, describing the honour as too low.

LEADERSHIP reports that President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday in his nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary, announced higher national honours of GCON for Senate President Godswill Akpabio and CJN Kudirat Kekere-Ekun while Speaker Abbas was conferred with CFR, among other beneficiaries.

But, during plenary on Wednesday, the lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s decision, stating that it was “unacceptable” to award the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) to Senate President Akpabio and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Kekere-Ekun, while only bestowing a lower CFR on Abbas.

The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Philip Agbese, a lawmaker from Benue State. Agbese and other members of the House argued that Abbas, as Speaker of the Green Chamber, should receive the same higher GCON honour as Akpabio and Kekere-Ekun.

In his Independence Day address on Tuesday, President Tinubu had announced the planned national honours, confirming that Akpabio and Kekere-Ekun would be conferred with GCON, while Abbas and Barau Jibrin, Deputy President of the Senate, would receive CFR. Additionally, Tinubu said that Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, would be conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) title.

The president, however, did not specify a date for the conferment of the national honours even he promised that the Federal Government will soon announce names of all other beneficiaries.