Updated: 30 April, 2006
Nigeria
Nigerian National Honours onlinenigeria.com
 |
In Russian - High quality images Yuri Yashnev |
 |
Breast Star of the Order of the Federal Republic (G.C.F.R.) Image courtesy Emmanuel Halleux |
Nigerian Medal for National Service was awarded for service during the Civil War, 1966-1970. The obverse of the medal has the National Coat-of-Arms. The ribbon is 32mm wide, with four equal stripes of red, light blue, khaki, and dark blue. (Wrong ribbon on image)
 |
David Devine |
Here is a group of Nigerian Medals
Recipients of the 1998 National Awards nigeriatoday.com
Nigerian literary giant rejects award Nigeria's literary giant Chinua Achebe has rejected a national award by President Olusegun Obasanjo, attributing the decision to the "dangerous" state of affairs in the country. Achebe, a professor of literature and author of the classic "Things Fall Apart", which has sold more than 11 million copies in at least 50 countries, was nominated for the Commander of the Federal Republic award last week. "Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 Honours List," Achebe said in a letter to Obasanjo, published in the Guardian newspaper. iol.co.za 17 Oct 04
Nigerian Medals Jeremy Newman
Ribbons of Nigeria Eric Bush Aug 04
Le chef de la diplomatie algérienne en visite au Niger The Algerian Foreign Minister, Mohamed Bedjaoui, has been made Commandeur de l'ordre du mérite, during a recent visit to Nigeria. Article in French. french,xinhuanet.com 27 Feb 06
Broken Links - For Information Purposes Only:
Asiodu Gets French Honours - President of France, Jacques Chirac has honoured a former Economic Adviser to the President, Chief Philip Asiodu, with one of France's highest honours, the "Grand Officer" of the "Ordre National du Merite" award. The award is in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the economic development of Nigeria, as well as fostering unity, cordial relations and understanding between France and Nigeria. allafrica.com Sep 02
Approves Honours List Announced yesterday is the approval of the 2002 National Honour list. Chief Maduekwe said the FEC has received recommendations for award from the National Honours List Committee for 202 Nigerians and twelve foreigners. the recommended persons will be further endorsed by the Council of States before the nominees will be conferred with the honour at a ceremony tentatively slated for Thursday, December 12, 2002. The varying categories include Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) -- 14 nominees, Commander of the order of Niger (30 nominees), Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), 50 nominees, Order of Niger (OON), 58 nominees, Member of the Federal Republic (MFR), 32 nominees, Member of the Order of Niger (MON), 7 nominees, Federal Republic Medal (FRM), a medal (1st class), 7 nominees, FRM (2nd class), 1 nominee and twelve foreigners thisdayonline.com 24 Oct 02
Nigeria to honour Kanu, Okocha, Babayaro Nigeria has conferred national honours on English Premiership stars Nwankwo Kanu of Arsenal, Austin Okocha of Bolton and Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro. Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba said they would get the Order of the Niger (OON) Awards for their contributions to Nigerian football. thestar.com.my 14 Nov 02
Okocha thrilled by top Nigerian honour Nigeria captain Austin Okocha, as well as Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu and Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro were conferred with the Officer of the Order of Niger at an impressive ceremony in the capital city of Abuja. sport.iafrica.com Dec 02
Buhari, IBB, Anyaoku, H.I.D, 231 others bag national honours Two former military heads of state, Generals Moham-madu Buhari (retd) and Ibrahim Babangida (retd) bagged the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) as they and 233 others were conferred with national honours to mark the nation’s 43rd Independence anniversary by President Olusegun Obasanjo. GCFR is the nation’s highest honour conferred only in former leaders of the country. Prominent names among them include ex-Common-wealth scribe, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Martin-Luther Agwa, IG Tafa Balogun; former military governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-Gen. Buba Marwa; 2nd Republic governor of old state, Sam Mbakwe; widow of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Hannah, Commodore Ebitu Ekiwe, Lt. Gen-Gado Nasko and Olabode George. Others are PDP National Secretary, Vincent Ogbulafor; renowned cleric, Pastor Enoch Adebaje, former America Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington; former Finance Minister, Adamu Ciroma and his Works and Housing counterpart, Tony Anenih, Senator David Daphone, Bamanga Tukur, Professor Bello Osagie and Anglican Archbishop, Reverend Peter Akinola. Daily Times 01 Oct 03
ICPC Charges National Honour Recipient With Corruption The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a recipient of this year's national honour award, Professor Alhassan Mela Yakubu, on 12-count charge of alleged corrupt offences. Professor Yakubu, a top official of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) was among those conferred with the national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by President Olusegun Obasanjo, as part of activities marking Nigeria's 43rd independent anniversary. All Africa.com 03 Oct 03
The politics of National Honours The National Honours is an annual award, set up to recognise Nigerians that must have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavour. According to the National Honours Act 1979: “There are hereby established two orders of dignity which shall be known respectively as the Order of the Federal Republic and the Order of the Niger and are hereafter in this warrant referred to as “the orders”. Also the Act states that each of the orders shall consist of four ranks of which the first and highest shall be that of Grand Commander; the second that of Commander; the third that of Officer; and the fourth that of Member of the order.” Daily Times 16 Oct 03
Buhari shuns National Honour *IBB, Anenih, 229 others honoured Former military Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the last general elections, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday shunned the conferment ceremony of national honours on awardees where he would have received the country’s highest award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR). But, former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, was present to receive his own award amid cheers from the audience at the well-attended ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. A total of 231 Nigerians, including seven foreigners, were conferred with different categories of the awards. Other important Nigerians honoured were Chief Chukwuemeka Anyaoku; General Buba Marwa (rtd.); Alhaji Yahaya Gusau; Chief Lekan Are; Ambassador Aderemi Esan; renowned playwright and philanthropist, Prof. Iyorwuse Hagher; former Works Minister, Chief Tony Anenih; Ambassador Walter Carrington; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun; renowned female musician, Onyeka Onwenu; and 103-year-old blind woman from Oyo State who was honoured for her services to humanity High Chief Munirat Adedotun. Vanguard 17 Dec 03
Anyaoku Receives Madagasy Medal of Honour World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International President and Life Fellow of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has been honoured with the highest honour of the Republic of Madagascar for his outstanding contributions to promote sustainable development and protection of biodiversity worldwide, during the just concluded WWF annual conference held in Antanarivo, Madagascar. Anyaoku, Nigeria's former Commonwealth Secretary-General, who has been president of WWF since 2002, was named the "Commandeur de l'Ordre National Malagasy" and was decorated by the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana. allafrica.com 28 Jun 04
Shonekan, Achebe, Mantu Get National Honours Former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and famous novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe are among 191 people to be accorded national honours. Shonekan is to be conferred with the highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), while Mantu and Achebe are to receive the award of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR). A breakdown of the list made public by the Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs, Youth Development and Special Duties, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr., in Abuja yesterday showed that seven foreigners and 30 women, more than a 100 per cent increase from last year's awardees of 12, are among recipients of the 2004 awards. There are six recipients of CFR, 23 of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), 48 honourees of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), 56 listed in Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), 46 Member of the Order of Federal Republic (MFR), 13 awarded Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) while 12 received ordinary medals. Nweke disclosed that a total of 1,504 applications were received this year, an increase of over 404 applications over that of last year. He said the National Honours Award Committee ensured that all segments of society had equal opportunity for consideration for the awards. "This year's exercise took special cognizance of gender representation, young achievers, and private sector contribution. Furthermore, achievements by Nigerian nationals resident in foreign lands, as well as foreigners living in Nigeria who have made positive contributions to the nation's development, have been recognised," he said. Nweke said as part of efforts at sustaining the credibility of the Nigerian National Honours Awards, a new set of clear objective and verifiable criteria were articulated to serve as additional basis for evaluation to the existing criteria set out in the enabling Act, which the committee considered to be largely subjective. He listed the new matrices as: character, career, education, outstanding achievement, contribution to Nigeria, quality/type of nomination and recognition. He said in order to avoid a repeat of the situation where certain recipients who had been cleared by the State Security Service (SSS) were found to have cases pending with other government agencies, the committee co-opted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into the 2004 screening exercise. He said the list of successful nominees, who would be conferred with the awards December 16 was circulated to both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for additional screening. He said that at the end of the screening exercise a total of 191 nominees were successful. thisdayonline.com 14 Oct 04
Shall We Tell the President? In many countries across the world today, especially in the Third World, national honours have become no more than chieftaincy titles conferred on those considered the good boys of the administration in power. Of course, the list is usually interspersed with a few nationals deserving of honour but essentially it is a political thing even in some advanced democracies. In the last two years, for instance, the media in the United Kingdom have been awash with stories of how Prime Minister Tony Blair more or less manipulates the list which, in his penchant for spin, is usually 'sexed up' with the names of popular footballers or showbiz stars. That was how David Beckham got his national honour last year while this year the list is said to include some civil servants who helped him in preparing the controversial dossier for the war in Iraq. What I am saying in effect here is that nowadays when politicians have hijacked the process, in most countries, not much premium is placed on 'national honours'. When you, however, situate such phenomenon with the Nigerian factor where nothing is sacred you can then imagine what national honours will be here. That is why you see all kinds of dubious characters, court jesters and pimps on the list every year. And since it is said that in rivers, as in bad government, the lightest things swim at the top, those who get the higher honours in our country are usually the least deserving of such. allafrica.com 28 Oct 04
Obasanjo Decorates 194 With National Honours President Olusegun Obasanjo will decorate about 194 Nigerians and foreigners with National Honours Awards medals and insignia. Top on the list is former head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan who will be decorated with the medal of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR); Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar will both receive the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) medal. Some other notable names on the list include Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, Managing Director, Zinox Computers, Dr. Philip Emeagwali, world renowned IT expert, Ambassador Segun Olusola, Prof Joy Ogwu, Director General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, etc. A breakdown of the recipients in the different categories is as follows: GCFR-one; CFR-six; CON-20; OFR-47; OON-54; MFR-41; MON-13: Federal Medals- 12, bringing the total number of awardees for this year to 194. allafrica.com 15 Dec 04
List of Recipients kwenu.com
Eminent Nigerians Receive National Honours A total of twelve Federal Republic Medals (FRMs), First and Second Class were also awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavour. Some of the top awardees include former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, the only recipient of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, who received the second highest Award - Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). Four others also received the CFR Award. They are Chief Sunny Odogwu, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred N. Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, and Major General Alwali J. Kazir (retired). allafrica.com 17 Dec 04
Nigerian Contingent Gets Another UN Medals For the second time in less than a year, the Nigerian contingent serving in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has been decorated with UN medals in appreciation of their contributions toward the restoration of peace and stability to war-torn Liberia. allafrica.com 21 Mar 05
Belgian Govt Confers National Honours On Ooni, Tinubu, Six Other Nigerians Governor Tinubu, Oba Sijuade and Ambassador Peter Afolabi, former Nigeria Ambassador to Belgium were honoured with the Commander of the Order of the Crown. The other Nigerians who were similarly honoured are Abubakar Bawa Bwari, Chief whip, House of Representatives , Ambassador Maurice Ekpang both of whom bagged Officer of the Order of Leopold and Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Knight of the Order of Leopold. Others are Chief Kunle Ogunade, Officer of the Order of the Crown and Alhaji Umaru Sanda Ndayako, late Etsu Nupe and Emir of Bida who was awarded a posthumous honour of Commander of the Order of the Crown. allafrica.com 22 Jun 04
Minister's Tardiness Stalls 2005 Honours List The National Council of State was unable to deliberate on those who made the list of the 2005 National Honours because the Minister of Special Duties, Col. Musa Muhammed (rtd) failed to get the list ready. The council consisting of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former heads of state, the 36 governors, Senate President Ken Nnamani and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, however, approved the confirmation of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, as substantive head of the nation's police. Obasanjo was said to have been embarrassed when Minister Muhammed could not produce the list of the people recommended for the National Honours for consideration of the Council of State. thisdayonline.com 29 Sep 05
Musa Mohammed and Honours List Reading the front page story in This Day Newspaper report of September 30 captioned "Minister's Tardiness Stalls 2005 Honours, List" leaves one with no doubt about the gross incompetence of Inter-governmental and Special Duties minister, Musa Mohammed who allegedly embarrassed his president and by extension the whole nation for failing to submit the list for confirmation of the 2005 recipients of the National Honours. In fact the story was so detailed that even the Council of States had to allegedly adjourn for several hours to await the submission of the list but all to no avail. This story was so detailed that one would have congratulated the newspaper and its " insider source" for exposing this "tardiness". But what if the story turns out to be a hoax, deliberately manufactured and planted to the newspaper? What if it were a deliberate disinformation calculated, designed and produced to embarrass the minister? allafrica.com 10 Oct 05
Nigeria - National Honours not for sale, says Mohammed Nomination and selection of awardees for national honours are based on recommendations and approval by the National Council of States (NCS) and not a product to be purchased in the market. Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs and Special Duties, Col. Musa Mohammed (rtd.), made the remark at the weekend saying that this year’s list of awardees have been presented to President Olusegun Obasanjo for his final consideration and approval. In all, about 200 awardees scaled through the screening process by security agencies out of no fewer than 2,000 applicants this year. independentng.com 10 Oct 05
National
Honour, not for sale - Col. Musa Mohammed
Excellence Award: Akunyili Brings Honour to Nigeria While the actions of some public officers have dented the image of the country in no small way, a window of opportunity for the country to reclaim her once envied image has presented itself with the nomination of Prof. (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as the sole recipient of the 2005 Grassroot Human Rights Campaigner Award in Europe. The award is coming from the London- based Human Rights Defence Organisation. She is a proud recipient of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR), bestowed on her by President Olusegun Obasanjo, among others. thisdayonline.com 20 Oct 05
Nigerian Contingent Set for Medal Nigerian Battalion 6, 7, and Signal 2 currently serving in Liberia will be proud recipients of medals in Monrovia. A release said the medal presentation is in accordance with UN standing operating procedure for officers and soldiers serving under the auspices of UNMIL. The release further said that the medals would be presented to the soldiers after completing their mandatory 90 days of successful services in the UN mission in Liberia, which qualified them for the honor. allafrica.com 6 Dec 05
 |
Professor
Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi A Nigerian citizen, has
been the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization
since 1 January 1984.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
France honours former AU mission commander Okonkwo France has conferred on the former Commander of the African Union (Peacekeeping) Mission in Sudan (AMIS), Nigerian Major General Festus Okechukwu Okonkwo the French National Order of Merit Award with rank of Commander for his contributions to peace in Sudan and Liberia. In a citation read at the ceremony at the French Embassy in Abuja, French ambassador Yves Gandeul said the award recognises Gen. Okonkwo`s "prominent roles" in peacekeeping operations, especially in Liberia, under the Economic Community of West African States peacekeeping force (ECOMOG) between 1994 and 1996, which earned him the nickname `hurricane` for his "outstanding professional and personal qualities". The citation also recognised the Nigerian General`s role during the ECOMIL and UNMIL operations in 2003 and 2004. The first batch of 500 Nigerian troops landed in Darfur, Sudan, in August 2005 amidst protest from the Sudanese government and militias believed to be loyal to it. The Nigerian troops had to fight their way against the Sudanese- backed Janjaweed militia to deploy in the troubled Western region. The AU currently has 7,000 troops in Darfur. angolapress-angop.ao 17 Apr 06
