By Jonathan Ugbal and Ogar Monday
Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the former Auditor General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Mkpe Ayine, have made the list of nominees to be awarded National Honors on October 11, 2022, at the State House in Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also, Amb. Anthonia A. Ekpe Ph.D., a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Women Affairs, Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs in the Presidency, Evangelist Blessing Bassey Duke, a philanthropist, and real estate mogul, Mr. Gershom E. Henshaw are nominated as recipients from Cross River State.
The National Honors were instituted by the National Honors Act No. 5 of 1964, during the First Republic, to honor Nigerians who have rendered service to the benefit of the country.
This year’s list has five recipients for the honor of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, 54 for Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR, 67 for Commander of the Order of the Niger, and 64 for Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR.
Others include 101 for Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, 75 for Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, 56 for Member of the Order of the Niger, and eight for Federal Republic Medal, FRM. These totals 437 nominees.
While Vice Admiral Ibas will get the honor of CFR which is the second highest in the Order of the Federal Republic behind only the GCFR reserved for the President, Governor Ayade will alongside his Governor colleagues, receive the CON which ranks behind the GCON in the Order of the Niger honors.
Mr. Ayine and Amb. Ekpe are nominated for the OON medal while Evangelist Duke and Mr. Henshaw are nominated for the MFR medal.
Short Link:
