President Muhammadu Buhari has conferred the national award on 450 recipients including some foreigners, referred to as “friends of Nigerian.”
The conferment which took place the on Tuesday at the International Conference Center, Abuja was witnessed by dignitaries including the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief Justice of Nigeria Olukayode Ariwoola, the President’s Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Service Chiefs, Major Gen. Leo Irabor Chief of Defence Staff, Major Gen. Farouk Yahaya, Chief of Army Staff, Real Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal, Ishiaka Oladayo Amao, Chief of Air Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, serving and former ministers, some traditional rulers and members of the diplomatic corps
Of the 450 recipients, Six were awarded Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger (GCON), 55 Commanders of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), 74 Members of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), 77 Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). Jim
Of this number, 13 were honoured posthumously. In this category were the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari (CFR), and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and Aircraft Man Matthew Oyedepo, both of whom died in a fatal plane crash in Kaduna on May 2021, late elder statesman, Chief Anthony Enahori, the late scholar, Bala Usman, OFR and the late activist, Gambo Sawaba, Journalists also made the lits; President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo, Mr Femi Adesina, former Managing Director of The Sun Newspaper and currently Media Adviser to the President, publisher of Fresh Facts Newspaper, Mr Segun Abrams and a former The Punch Editor, Alhaji Nojeem Jimoh
Others are Senate President Ahmed Lawan, prominent lawyers such as Professor Itsey Sagay, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Retired Chief Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, current Chief Justice Kayode Ariwoola, Justice of the Court of Appeal Mrs Monica Dogbam – Mensem, Director General of World Trade Centre Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Deputy Secretary General of United Nations (UN) Ms Amina Mohammed, Speaker Gbajabiamila.
Others are 110 Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), 55 Members of the Order of the Niger (MON), 65 Commanders of the Order of the Niger (CON), Four Federal Republic Medal- First Class (FRM I) and Four Federal Republic Medal- Second Class FRM II.
