Buharic confers National Honours on late Abba Kyari, Jim Ovia, Wigwe, Ozekhome, Nduka Obaigbena, 442 others

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, conferred National Honours on 447 Nigerians and friends of the country.

The 2022 National Honours Award Investiture took place at the International Conference Centre, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The recipients were awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Ibrahim Gambari, the president’s Chief Of Staff, were also present at the event.

Abba Kyari, the former Chief Of Staff To The President, received a posthumous CFR award which was presented to his daughter.

Some of the recipients present at the event are Jim Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank; Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank CEO, and Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate Of Nigeria (SAN).

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Others are Mele Kyari, Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL); Ace Publisher, Nduka Obaigbena, founder of ThisDay and Arise Media Group, and Samson Ayokunle, former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

It would be recalled that the award of the National Honour was beset by controversies when a leaked list identified a total of 437 persons as nominees by the federal government to receive national honours.

The leaked list was inundated with inconsistencies, errors, and the absence of notable names.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki was missing from the list while Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, was nominated to be awarded commander of the order of the Niger (CON) — an honour he was bestowed by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Also, Bayo Ogunlesi, founder of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), was erroneously described as the owner of Gatwick Airport.

Amid the controversy, the FG asked Nigerians to disregard the list in circulation and wait for the release of an amended list to correct the errors and other inconsistencies.

In the final list, 447 persons were nominated while Fayemi was excluded and Saraki was still left out.