News Investigators/ The House of Representatives Wednesday rejected the National Honour conferred on Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas
The lawmakers accused President Bola Tinubu of discriminating against the green chamber of the National Assembly after conferring a higher honour to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
But Mr. Abbas who presided over the plenary cautioned against the motion, warning that it would be disrespectful of the President who granted the award.
Instead, the Speaker urged his colleagues to allow the national honour awards committee to exercise their discretion.
Mr. Tinubu, while addressing the nation on the occasion of Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary celebration, announced the conferment of the honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, but awarded the Speaker Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR)
The President awarded the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau (CFR), a move viewed as belittling the leadership of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Abbas and Mr. Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau were conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), respectively.
At the resumed plenary of the House, Wednesday, members kicked against the CFR national honour award to the Speaker following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Philip Agbese (APC Benue).
The House resolved members of the House of Representatives are by no means inferior to Senators, and therefore, both leaders should be treated equally.
The motion, signed by 360 members of the House, called for the abolition of the “upper chamber and lower chamber nomenclature”, stating that both chambers are equal.