Give Speaker Abbas GCON Award Like Akpabio, Reps Demand

Following the conferment of national honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, the House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as discrimination against the Green Chamber.

A motion sponsored by all 360 lawmakers drew attention to the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Senate President Godswill Akpabio; and the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

The lawmakers rejected Tinubu’s conferment of the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The lawmakers argued that both chambers of the National Assembly are equal and the Green Chamber should not even be referred to as a lower chamber.

They lamented that the GCON honour conferred on the CJN who is lower in rank than the Speaker. The House urged Tinubu to correct the error.

The President had on Tuesday announced the conferment during a broadcast to celebrate Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day Anniversary in Abuja.

Tinubu also conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; and awarded the honour of the Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) to the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu.