The Peoples Democratic Party (PD) on Sunday faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for awarding and decorating the visiting Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with Nigeria’s second highest national honour – the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
The Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, described the President’s action as misplaced priority just as the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nze Chidi Duru, kicked, arguing that the President didn’t do anything unprecedented.
The PDP’s criticism came hours after Tinubu conferred Modi with the national honour during the Nigeria/India Bilateral meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Tinubu, in bestowing the award on the Indian Prime Minister, said it was a show of appreciation for their partnership and bilateral relationship.
According to Tinubu: “Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India. We work to deepen and broaden the same to the mutual benefit of our two friendly countries. You have been doing a good job historically. Winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much.
“I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner.”
However, the PDP expressed disappointment in Tinubu, wondering why he chose to gift the second highest national honour in the land on the basis of mere friendship.
The member of PDP National Working Committee emphasised that though the President has the right and prerogative to confer a national honour on anybody, there must be criteria to show why they deserve it.
“It is not something you dish out for the sake of friendship and all of that. I don’t know what the Indian Prime Minister has done to have warranted such an honour. But this is the second highest honour in the land. It is a misplacement of priorities.
“I would have thought that the President should have asked the Indian Prime Minister how the Indian economy has been able to move away from being the poverty capital of the world to being one of the fastest growing economies in the world now. The biggest tech moguls across the globe at the moment are all Indians.
“Just look at Microsoft, the Silicon Valley in America and startups. They are all being run and set up by Indians. I would have thought that Tinubu, in a bid to shore up the lacuna his cabinet lacks, would have been humble enough to ask the Prime Minister to offer him a clue as to how to help his government and Nigerians. Not dishing out unnecessary awards that the man doesn’t need other than for pictures and commentary,” he said.
Continuing, the PDP chieftain took a further swipe at the current administration, saying it wouldn’t stop playing to the gallery with some of its alleged theatrics.
Osadolor also wondered if the President took the liberty of asking the visiting PM and his delegation the right questions on investments and how Nigeria can borrow a leaf from the Indians to move the country out of the woods.
He said, “Tinubu is not serious. He should leave out frivolities for bigger issues. Now that the Indian Prime Minister has taken it upon himself to visit Africa, yes, we have a significant and sizeable Indian community in Nigeria. But to what end can we maximize and leverage these businesses?
“Are we asking the right questions, seeking the right investments and pushing for the right policies? But the distraction from this administration is becoming one too many. I think President Tinubu should wake up from these media gimmicks and focus on the real issues.
“Nigerians are hungry and dying. The technologies the Indians are currently deploying globally will help a great deal to solve most of these basic challenges.”
But the APC Deputy National Organising Secretary, Duru, raised concerns that the PDP was not playing its role as a responsible opposition.
He said, “I think the question to ask is, whether there is a precedent in this. Then the next question is if it is within the confines of the power of Mr President to confer such an award. If it is, is the process approved? Once all these questions are answered in the affirmative, it then becomes the discretion of Mr President to confer such honorary award on whom he pleases.
“Having said that, it is also important to underscore the fact that we will need to go beyond the politics of emotions to begin to address the issue. So, the PDP is more than welcome to continue to play the role of opposition, which is admirable.
“However, we like to see a situation whereby what they put on the table is, with respect, how we can make Nigeria a lot better and more improved that will address the issues facing us as a country. I am talking about things like how do we put food on the table, create a better environment for business to thrive and create a better level playing field. These are things that should worry any of us than to chase shadow.”
First published in The PUNCH