Jonathan presents national honours, wants recipients to inspire Nigerians to rededicate to country, humanity
Underscoring the essence of the awards, he said: "No great nation toys with honours that constitute its national code of ethics."
The President said the national honour must never be seen as a piece of paper or garland that can be obtained by persons of questionable character.
Among the recipients of the honours was Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, the designer of Nigerian national flag, whose the President said should be placed on salary of special assistant to the president for the rest of his life.
Akinkunmi, who has gone blind, was also led to the President by his child to collect the national award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).
The President also directed the Minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed, to give one flat each in the FCT to the taxi driver who returned N18 million forgotten in his car to the owner, Imeh Usuah, Head of Presidential Stewards, Onuh Isaac Michael, and a traffic warden, Solomon Dauda.
The three of them also got national honours with Usuah getting Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), Onuh and Dauda got Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).
The President said: "Let me specially appreciate these people, the taxi driver, Imeh Usuah, corporal Solomon Dauda, presidential steward, Mr. Isaac Michael Onuh. Those who take into criminalities because of poverty are not quite right because myself and some of you here knew where we are coming from. We passed through stress but we didnt take to criminality. For these gentlemen, we appreciate you. FCT Minister give one flat each to the three of them."
Speaking further on the presidential steward, he said: "A very dedicated steward who has survived every heads of state loyally since President Shehu Shagari. From Shagari till today, to have survived about nine presidents and nine first ladies, you must be a great man."
He urged Nigerians to actively participate in the nomination process whenever it is advertised in the media, even as he noted that the broader spectrum exhibited in this year's award was an indication of wide search conducted by the Honours Committee.
Jonathan lamented that much of society had lost respect for noble professions and vocations, stressing that in the past people feared to tread near places of worship while religious houses have now become targets of bombings and vandalism.
While 313 persons were on the 2013/2014 national honour award list yesterday, the Master of Ceremony skipped the name of Olorogun Felix Ibru.
President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa (CFR) on behalf of the recipients , said the honour would serve to ginger the awardees to do more for the nation.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, recalled that the annual awards were instituted by the Order of Dignity Act of 1963.
Chairman of the Honours Award Committee and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Alfa Belgore, said a rigorous screening process was used to select persons of honour and impeccable character for the award.
He said that a total of 4,737 persons have received all categories of the national honours from 1963 to date and that 313 recipients for 2013/2014.
After receiving the awards of Commander of the Order of Niger (CON), governors Ibikunle Amosu (Ogun), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) promised to work harder to continue to bring dividends of democracy to the people of their states.
Amosu said such honour conferred on him meant that his efforts at making lives meaningful for the people of his state were being appreciated.
He said, "It means that we should work more for the nation, work more for the states, that is what it means to me.
"When you are given award like this, you are honoured, it means that our efforts are being appreciated for what you are doing, it is a call for more service.
"It shows that the President is not too busy to see those who merited the award and for him too, it is call to service for Mr. President to work more and when he now gives to people like us, it means that he identified with us, he appreciate what we are doing and he is telling us to do more."
He said he would not totally agree with those who said the awards have become an all-comers affair.
"It is like describing an elephant, it is from the perspective from which you are looking at it. Yes, there may be one or two misgivings about it, people will talk anyway, that is why I will not want to totally agree with them in that perspective. I think whoever is given, it is a call to serve more, render selfless service to the nation and to our different states," he stated.
Mimiko also said the award would spur him and his co-recipients to continue to support the President in order to achieve his agenda for national transformation.
He urged all Nigerians to continue to support the present administration by giving peace a chance.
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