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 Daily
Independent Online.
* Friday, June 25, 2004.
ICPC screens nominations for national merit award
By
Dan Alo
Correspondent, Lagos
The Special Duties Ministry has
enlisted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) on the screening committee for this year’s national
merit award, to ensure that only worthy men and women receive the
accolade.
Letters and nomination forms for the award,
signed by Special Duties Minister Frank Nweke Jnr., have been sent to
government agencies.
The letters said nominees should not be involved
in any corrupt allegation pending in court, the ICPC or any criminal investigation
agency.
Nweke, in the letters, explained that all
nominees would be subjected to screening by ICPC officials already
drafted to the committee now sitting in Abuja.
He said each state should be wary of submitting
names of individuals who have not met the guidelines stated in the
nomination forms.
The award, which is in five categories, would be
extended to youths with excelling academic qualifications and record of
selfless service to the nation.
It is also being extended to foreign “friends”
of the country who have contributed to the economic and social growth of
the country.
ICPC will equally check the credentials of these
foreigners to be sure that they are not of questionable character.
The award is billed for next month and is “the
government’s little way of showing appreciation for individuals who have
offered humanitarian, philanthropic and developmental assistance to the
country. The value of the award
is immeasurable”, Nweke stressed.
The national honour and award was instituted in
1963 to recognise people of integrity who have carried out selfless
service for the nation.
It has generated controversy over the years with
critics accusing the military government of honouring the undeserving.
At the inception of the present administration
in 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo said apart from a few Nigerians such
as Aguyi Ironsi, honoured in 1996, Yakubu Gowon (1996), Ibrahim Babangida
(1990), Babatunde Idiagbon (1988), Karibi White (1996), many other
deserving Nigerians were left out.
From then on, the government zoned the
nominations to the grass roots, insisting that they should come from the
774 councils. Observers believe this has paved the way for more eligible people to be
honoured.
The last award was held at the International
Conference Centre, Abuja on October 24, 2003. A total 202 Nigerians and
12 naturalised foreigners were honoured. They included Director General
the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),
Dora Akunyili, former Lagos State Military Administrator Buba Marwa, for
Central Bank Governor Joseph Sanusi, Emir of Zauzau Sanni Sammi and Obiageli Ubeku.
The award is issued out in five categories:
Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Grand Commander of order
of Niger (GCON); the two highest honours.
The second category is the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), Commander
of the Order of Niger (CON), followed by the Order of the Federal
Republic (OFR), Officer of the Order of Niger (OON).
The last class is the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR),
Member of theOrder of Niger (MON).
The category for foreigners is tagged Friends of
Republic of Nigeria.
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