Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts have condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to award Nigeria’s second highest national honor, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Recall that during the bilateral talks between Nigeria and India held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President bestowed the country’s second-highest honor on Mr. Modi.
Tinubu said the award was presented to the Prime Minister of India as an expression of appreciation for the partnership and bilateral relations between the two countries.
Reacting to the development in a meeting with Punch on Sunday, PDP National Youth Deputy Leader Timothy Osadore said the President’s action was unnecessary.
He wondered why Tinubu chose to bestow the country’s second-highest national honor on the basis of mere friendship.
Members of the PDP National Working Committee stressed that while the President has the right and privilege to bestow national honors on anyone, there must be criteria to show why they are deserving of the honor.
He said, ‘It’s not something you put out for friendship or anything. I don’t know what the Prime Minister of India did to get such an honor. But this… is the second highest honor in this country. That’s a misplaced priority.
“I think the president should have asked the Indian prime minister how the Indian economy was able to break away from being the poverty capital of the world to one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The biggest tech tycoons in there are all Indian.
“Look at Microsoft, America’s Silicon Valley and startups, all of which are run and founded by Indians. Prime Minister Tinubu has humbled himself to fill the gaps in his cabinet. I would have thought that I would have asked the Prime Minister to give me some tips on how to help the government and Nigerians.Don’t give the person unnecessary awards other than photos and comments. .”
The PDP leader went on to further slam the current government, saying it would not stop playing to the masses with some questionable plays.
Mr. Osadore also questioned whether the President had the courage to ask the visiting Prime Minister and his delegation the right questions about investments and how Nigeria could get help from Indians to get out of the woods. I thought.
he said: “Tinubu is not serious. He should stop being frivolous for bigger issues. Now that the Indian Prime Minister has decided to visit Africa, there is a significant and large Indian community in Nigeria. But these How can you maximize and leverage your business?
“Are we asking the right questions, demanding the right investments, pushing the right policies? But there are too many distractions from this administration. I think we should wake up and focus on the real problem.
“Nigerians are dying of hunger. The technology that Indians are currently deploying around the world will go a long way in solving most of these fundamental challenges.”
