DISHONOURING THE HONOURED: The advantages achieved from a well panel beaten National Honours System.

RECAP:

This is the third and final of the series; Dishonouring the honoured. In the first series, I had a deep analysis and explanation of what National Honours entails.

Then in the second series, I recommended ways of getting the National Honourees selection right thereby ensuring purity in the system due to the exemplary and role model status of many of the honourees to the youths. 

For a better understanding of this work, the earlier mentioned 2 series to this can be found in the following links;

·         DISHONOURING THE HONOURED        (SERIES 1)

·         DISHONOURING THE HONOURED: Achieving a widespread celebrated National Honours System            (SERIES 2)

This part will focus on the benefits of having the right individuals selected for National Honours, courtesy an effective National Honours System and selection process.

But prior to attaining efficacy in the National Honours System, it is paramount to point out that the government first has to be efficient and credible. To this end, I believe that the credibility of the National Honours System is largely dependent on the credibility of the government and as thus, if there is no credibility, the National Honours System will be marred by unhonoured selections which will result in undeserved honourees.

With the stringency in the National Honours selection process that can be found in part 2 of this series, the following will be achieved; 

1.         An efficient National Honours System gets the people closer to the government thereby further granting them a sense of belonging to the nation. This is because of the fact that the citizens’ involvement in the selection process will make one having the feel that their voice is heard.

2.         It will bring credibility to the National Honours System due to the openness involved from the selection process to the conferment ceremony.

3.         It will change the widespread opinion that National Honours is used as an appreciation tool by the government to election campaign contributors and all other individuals that one way or the other had a direct support and relationship with the government. For example, on August 21, the Punch Newspapers (Nigeria) reported that 2 major opposition political parties in Nigeria were in this view. In quote “CPC and ANPP in particular said it would be difficult for Jonathan to withdraw the honours because some of the convicts used proceeds of their crime to fund elections of top members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party”

4. It will get more Nigerians to be conscious of their approach to living, especially the National Honours recipients. This is due to the fact that the recipients upon receiving the National Honours will know that they are now in the eyes of the public and as such would live rightly or more rightly to avert the occurrence of an embarrassment to themselves and the National Honour System.

5.         It will seal the government’s stance on dissociating itself from law breakers. Also, corruption and other negativity that could bring the government and National Honours System to disrepute will be frowned at by the government.

6.         It will be a good and commendable political point scored by the president who adopts it.

7.         There would be the achievement of a National Honours System with very little or no criticisms.

8.         It will drive the government to work harder with respect to the right leadership in all spheres of nationhood. This is due to the fact that a credible National Honourees selection process will get the government being credible.

To this end, I opine that there is a direct relationship between a National Honours System in place and the nature of government with regards to its credibility or discreditable approach to leadership. These said, credibility in governance attracts credibility in National Honours conferment while a discreditable government will attract a discreditable National Honours conferment.

Furthermore, I also believe that if a government with a discreditable approach to leadership has a credible National Honours System it will be nothing but a hypocrite. Such hypocrisy is primarily why there can never be a credible National Honours System by a discreditable government. 

9.         It will encourage individuals with credible character whom at a point or the other rejected the National Honours conferred on them to accept such honours. 

In this regard, a notable example is Professor Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian and world celebrated author. In 2004 and 2011, he declined the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) conferred on him by President Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan respectively. 

On his reason for rejecting the honour, guardian.co.uk quotes him as thus "Forty-three years ago, at the first anniversary of Nigeria's independence I was given the first Nigerian National Trophy for Literature. In 1979, I received two further honours – the Nigerian National Order of Merit and the Order of the Federal Republic – and in 1999 the first National Creativity Award. I accepted all these honours fully aware that Nigeria was not perfect; but I had a strong belief that we would outgrow our shortcomings under leaders committed to uniting our diverse peoples. Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 Honours List."

Also, from the guardian.co.uk, he said “"Twenty-seven years ago I wrote a pamphlet called 'Trouble in Nigeria', which was about corruption. Today matters are worse because they have been allowed to get worse."

These reasons as put forward by one of Nigeria’s greatest icon is one that send a strong message to the leadership of Nigeria to get it right in order to be reckoned with by well meaning Nigerians abroad and the international community.

Apart from Chinua Achebe, another notable “rejectee” of the National Honours as reported by nairaland.com is Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila of the House of Representatives which is the lower chamber of the Federal Legislative arm of government in Nigeria.

Nairaland.com pointed out that Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila in rejecting the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) noted that National Honours anywhere in the world are reserved exclusively for those who have distinguished themselves in their chosen field of endeavour and that such distinction have stood them apart and head and shoulders above their peers in contributing to the political, economic or social development of the country. 

These said, the call from Chinua Achebe is for the government to embrace credibility in governance before it deems itself worthy to credibly honour people while Femi Gbajabiamila is for the government to get the right people honoured through a painstakingly executed selection process.

These 2 views by these two icons have been the mainstay of this work.

God bless Nigeria!!!

References

Olusola Fabiyi et.al. “Ibru, George others to lose national honours” The Punch (Lagos) 21 Aug. 2012: 2 

“Femi Gbajabiamila Rejects National Honour” Nairaland  4 Nov. 2011. 1 Sep. 2012. <http://www.nairaland.com/796232/femi-gbajabiamila-rejects-national-honour>

Flood, Alison “Chinua Achebe refuses Nigerian national honour” The Guardian 14 Nov. 2011. 29 Aug. 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/nov/14/chinua-achebe-refuses-nigerian-national-honour>