National Honours awards Steward, cabby, cop get houses in Abuja

The National Honours award ceremony held yesterday featured not just medal presentations but also surprise presidential gifts, including a life-time salary for one and houses in Abuja for three of the awardees.Designer of the Nigerian National Flag, 77-year-old Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, is to draw a monthly salary of a presidential assistant for life, in addition […]

The National Honours award ceremony held yesterday featured not just medal presentations but also surprise presidential gifts, including a life-time salary for one and houses in Abuja for three of the awardees.
Designer of the Nigerian National Flag, 77-year-old Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, is to draw a monthly salary of a presidential assistant for life, in addition to receiving the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) medal.
President Goodluck Jonathan also announced that a flat in Abuja will be given to each of cabdriver Umeh Usuah, traffic policeman Solomon Dauda and the head of the presidential stewards Onuh Isaac Michael.
Mr Usuah received a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) medal for returning N18 million a passenger left in his taxicab, while Corporal Dauda was given the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) award for entertaining Abuja commuters “with gyration and gesticulation.”
Michael also received an MON, for having served “nine presidents and nine first ladies from the days of former President Shehu Shagari to President Jonathan.”
Jonathan, who spoke during the 2013/2014 National Honours award ceremony in Abuja, said Usuah, Dauda and Michael’s cases had shown that poverty is not an excuse for criminality.
“Take Mr. Ime Usuah, the taxi driver whose daily income was not more than N10,000. A passenger forgot N18 million in his taxi, and went away. The man did not have Mr. Usuah’s name or his phone number. The honest Nigerian spirit in Mr. Usuah led him to go hunting for the owner of the N18 million and he delivered it to him, intact. This is how it should be,” he said.
“For many of you in Abuja or who visit our nation’s capital, you must have seen a hard working traffic warden who does his job with great dexterity, glee and happiness. As a traffic officer, he delights in entertaining commuters by graceful gyrations and gesticulations as he efficiently directs traffic. CPL Solomon Dauda carries on his job with evident pride and dignity!”
He added: “You can see that those who take to criminality do not necessarily do so because of poverty; it is possible for people to be poor and live a life of honour and dignity, because some of you here and myself know where we are coming from.
“We have passed through stress, but we did not take to criminality. It is also why we appreciate these three gentlemen: Onuh, the taxi driver, Usuah, and Corporal Dauda. In addition to the national honours already bestowed on you, I hereby direct the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to give you a gift of a flat each.
“And by the same token, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation should ensure that another awardee who has contributed so much to the history of this country, the person who designed the Nigerian flag, Pa Michael Akinkunmi is placed on the salary of a Special Assistant to the President.”
Jonathan said he hoped that the recognition bestowed on the awardees would encourage other Nigerians to recommit themselves to the service of their father land.
Recipients of the award of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) included Governors Theodore Orji (Abia), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Sa’idu Dakingari (Kebbi), as well as Senators Kabiru Marafa, Babajide Omoworare and Nkechi Nwaogu.
Those conferred with the Commander of the Order of Federal Republic (CFR) included Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff Lt-General Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, and Acting Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and 2014 Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist Blessing Okagbare, who were on the National Honours list, did not attend the event and were not represented.
Twenty-five persons received the award of the CFR; 60, CON; 54, OFR; 63, OON; 53, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and 56, MON; while one recipient each got the Federal Republic Medal (First Class) and Federal Republic Medal (Second Class).
Yesterday’s investiture of 313 awardees brought the total of the National Honours so far conferred on individuals since its inception in 1963 to 4,737.