Written by John Bosco Agbakulu
President Bola Tinubu has awarded the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the country’s second highest national honor, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.
In his 64th Independence Day Address on October 1, President Tinubu conferred the titles of Chairman and Vice-President of the Senate on the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic (CFR).
The development prompted a debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday, calling on the president to bestow higher honors on the speaker.
A statement issued by the Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on Friday said: “President Tinubu has been persuaded by the position of the House of Representatives and has decided to correct the historical wrongs and oversights.
“Therefore, he decided to upgrade the chairmanship from CFR to GCON in accordance with national priorities.”
The statement further said that the Speaker, the President of the Senate, other principal officers of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice of Nigeria will be formally conferred with the new honors at a later date.
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