Lawmakers Push for GCON Honour for Speaker Abbas, Reject CFR

Lawmakers have called for Speaker Abbas to receive the prestigious GCON honour, rejecting the CFR award. Read more about their reasoning and the debate.

Members of the House of Representatives from different political parties are calling for Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to be awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) national award.

The motion was tabled during plenary on Wednesday following concerns that the Speaker was being given a lower award compared to other senior officials.

The controversy arose after President Bola Tinubu announced the awarding of national awards in his Independence Day address.

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While the Speaker will be awarded the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), Senate President Godswill Akpabio received the GCON, a higher honour also awarded to Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Philip Agbesu, expressed displeasure at the perceived unequal treatment of the House of Representatives compared to the Senate.

He noted that records show that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is ranked fourth, higher than the Chief Justice who ranks fifth, but still receives the top GCON award.

Other members of parliament supported Mr Agbese’s motion, stressing that they are not concerned about Speaker Abbas as an individual, but rather ensuring due recognition and respect for the office of the Speaker.

More to come…