IBADAN – A legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, has countered members of House of Representatives seeking conferment of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on its Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abass instead of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
He said years of service to the nation really matters and not being a Speaker of House of Representatives can earned Abass the GCON National Honor.
Recall that House of Representatives members are agitating for conferment of GCON honor on Abass as it’s been done to the Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan on Friday while reacting to recent call by members of House of Representatives seeking conferment of GCON on Abass, Ayorinde, who is also the chairman, Governors Advisory Councils (GAC) in Oyo State said Abass will be entitled to the honor so far he reach the level of service to the nation.
He said, “You don’t agitate for honor but it is giving to you, some Nigerians has problem with sense of entitlements.
“I don’t know a law that says once you became a Speaker of House of Representatives, you must be giving GCON. You can even be a ‘Speaker’ without being giving any National Honor. It can even be after you have left the office you are giving recognition.
“I’m not sure if the CJN was conferred that honor because she is the CJN, her years of service to the nation must have been considered before she was conferred that honor.
“She started as a Magistrate, became high court Judge, before moving to the Court of Appeals and has also been at Supreme court for many years.
“If House of Representatives members want GCON for its ‘Speaker’, they should continue in their service to the nation, and that time will come, but this sense of over entitlements is not the best.”
Ayorinde frowned at conflicting judgements giving by some judges which according to him is an aberration, saying such can lead to anarchy and chaos if care is not taken.
He also urged government to address challenges currently facing Nigerians, saying there is still hope for the nation.
