Reps Demand GCON Honour for Speaker, Reject ‘Inferior’ CFR Award

Members of the House of Representatives, representing various political parties, on Wednesday, called for the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) honour on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction over the decision by President Bola Tinubu to bestow the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker while awarding the GCON to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

During the Independence Day broadcast on Tuesday, President Tinubu announced the conferment of various national honours on key national leaders. However, the House of Representatives expressed disappointment, viewing the honour given to the Speaker as demeaning when compared to that of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who received the GCON title.

Leading the debate on the matter, Deputy Spokesman of the House, Philip Agbese, moved a motion of urgent public importance during Wednesday’s plenary session. He labeled the treatment of the House as unacceptable, stating that it appeared to suggest that the House of Representatives is inferior to the Senate. Agbese specifically pointed out the protocol discrepancy, noting that Speaker Abbas, who ranks 4th in the order of protocol, was awarded a lesser honour than the CJN, who ranks 5th.

“Why was the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is ranked below the Speaker, conferred with the GCON, while the Speaker was given a CFR?” Agbese questioned.

Other lawmakers took turns to voice their agreement, emphasizing that they were not speaking for Speaker Abbas personally, but for the dignity of the Office of the Speaker, which they believed deserved the same level of recognition as the Senate.