Reps reject CFR national honour for speaker, demand GCON

The house of representatives has rejected the planned conferment of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the green chamber.

During plenary on Wednesday, the house said it is unacceptable for Tinubu to confer the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), while reserving CFR for Abbas.

The house passed the resolution following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Philip Agbese, lawmaker from Benue.

In his Independence Day speech, Tinubu said Akpabio and Kekere-Ekun will be conferred with the GCON, while Abbas and Barau Jibrin, deputy president of the senate, will get CFR.

The president also said Ben Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, will receive the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Tinubu did not disclose the date for the conferments.

No speaker has been conferred with the GCON in the history of the national honours.

‘IT’S DISCRIMINATORY’

While moving the motion, Agbese said the national assembly is constitutionally established as a bicameral legislature comprising two equal chambers — the senate and the house of representatives.

The lawmaker said it is discriminatory for the senate president to be conferred with a higher national honour than the speaker.

“There is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the house of representatives, often portrayed as inferior to the senate, through language that consistently refers to the senate as the ‘upper chamber’ and the house of representatives as a ‘lower chamber’. This terminology misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and diminishes the house’s standing,” the legislator said.

“We note that the conferment of the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the president of the senate and the conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the speaker of the house of representatives and deputy president of the senate, perpetuates the inappropriate subordination of the speaker to the president of the senate.

“The chief justice of Nigeria, who is lower in protocol ranking than the speaker of the house of representatives, was also awarded the title of GCON, further exemplifying this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the house.

“The constitution, in promoting a balanced and equal bicameral legislature, clearly provides that bills passed by one chamber must be concurred with by the other in the same form for them to become law, thus affirming the equal status of both chambers as essential components of the legislative process.

“While the constitution assigns specific responsibilities to the senate, such as confirming certain presidential appointments, it implies greater authority for the house of representatives over appropriations and the power of the purse.

“These distinct roles are designed to maintain a system of checks and balances within the legislative arm rather than establishing the superiority of one chamber over the other.”

THE DEBATE

Contributing to the motion, Sada Soli from Katsina, said some Nigerians who never occupied elective office or occupied the seat of the speaker — Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote group; and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) — were honoured with the GCON.

Babajimi Benson from Lagos said the motion calling for the speaker to be honoured with GCON is “putting democracy right”.

“Injustice to one is injustice to all. This injustice has gone on for too long,” Benson said.

Oboku Oforji from Bayelsa said it “gives us heartbreak that the speaker is honoured with CFR while CJN is honoured with GCON”.

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Abbas, the presiding officer.

Consequently, the house set up an ad hoc committee to be chaired by Julius Ihonvbere, leader of the house, to interface with the ministry of special duties and ensure their demand is considered.

The committee will report back to the house within three days.