Reps pass bill to limit National Awards recipients

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill to limit the number of recipients of the National Honours Awards through second reading.

The bill sponsored by the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, was titled: ” A bill for an Act to amend the Honours Warrant of the Subsidiary Legislation of the National Honours Act, Cap.43, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to provide for the limit to the numbers of persons appointed to the different Ranks of the Order in any year and Related Matters.”

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Gbajabiamila said the award has been denigrated to a level of penality.

According to him, it should be for extra ordinary achievement, and certain standards and it should not be limited to people in the private sector but also be open to people in the public sector.

The lawmaker said the number of annual recipients is much and ought to be trimmed down.

Two members of the House Sanni Kalgo and Samson Ogbu objected to some aspects of the proposed bill, saying it was an effort to reduce the power of the President to confer national award on any citizen he considers deserving.

But Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said: “What the bill chooses to do is set a standard and not to limit the powers of the President.”