Imam Abdullahi Abubakar (MFR).
Photo credit: Campus Reporters.
By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Some Residents of Lokoja, kogi State, have expressed delight over the National award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) conferred on Imam Abdullahi Abubakar,by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Reporters recalls that Imam Abubakar hid over 262 Christians in his mosque from attacks in Yelwa Gindi Akwati village, Plateau State, sometime ago.
Mohamed Adi, Ali Abubakar, Samson Akowe and Sadat Ahmed among others, who spoke with our Correspondent on the award on Tuesday in Lokoja, described the award as well deserved, stressing that it would go along way in boosting religious tolerance among Nigerians.
“I must commend President Muhammadu Buhari, specially, for recognizing this great religious leader for his immeasurable contrubution towards ensuring peaceful co-existence, religious harmony and tolerance in Nigeria.
“I am also happy that he conferred award on other prominent Nigerians.,”Abubakar said.
Akowe described Imam Abubakar as a true leader who means well for his country, adding that his award is not only the right thing in the right direction but also a well deserved recognition.
He called on other leaders in all strata of the society in the country, especially the religious incline ones, “to live in peace, preach peace and practise peace to their followers as exemplified by Imam Abubakar.”
According to him, this is necessary so that Nigeria can achieve the much needed peace to ensure over all round development of the country.
The Reporters recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja, conferred National Honours on 450 Nigerians and non-Nigerians, including Imam Abubakar.
Speaking with now retired Assistant Editor in Chief,News Agency of Agency,NAN, Alhaji D.U Ahmed in an interview during the 2019 Hajj operation in Makkah in Saudi Arabia, Imam Abubakar said he hid the over 200 christians in his mosque attacks to ensure peace and religious tolerance among Muslims and Christians in the country.
The president said the award was in recognition of the fact that, the awardees had distinguished themselves in the service of the nation and humanity, saying that citizens who contributed to national development deserved to be encouraged and appreciated.
Leading the 2022 National Honours Award recipients, in the category of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) are Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, immediate past CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Deputy Secretary-General of UN, Amina Mohammed and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
The President commended the National Awards Committee headed by the highly revered Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, the Emir of Lafia, for a great and patriotic duty by diligently going through over 5,000 submissions and coming up with these recommendations.
He noted that the screening and selection of nominees for this year’s award, as always, followed established broad criteria, in accordance with the National Honours Act CAP.N43 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
They include but not limited to: ‘‘consistent and meaningful participation in community and/or national development; rendering unsolicited, selfless and philanthropic services to humanity; outstanding sacrifice in the defence of a cause popularly adjudged to be positive, relevant and beneficial to the nation and community,’’he noted.
Other criteria listed by the President for selecting the recipients are:
‘‘Distinct act of bravery in the protection and/or defence of national interest, public peace, safety of life and property.
‘‘Remarkable achievement in any field of expertise where the person’s activities in that field have made significant contributions to the attainment of national goals and objectives.
‘‘Immense contributions towards the uplift of community, state, nation and/or humanity through achievements by way of inventions and bringing outstanding honour and glory to the state through personal dedication and patriotic commitment. Service with integrity is also a basis for the selection process.’’
Emphasising that nation building involves a lot of sacrifice by the citizenry, the President declared that citizens who contribute to national development deserved to be encouraged and appreciated.
He, therefore, lauded the 2022 National Award recipients for distinguishing themselves in various ways ‘‘for the purpose of recreating a new Nigeria of our dreams through respect for the rule of law, image laundering, transparency and accountability in management of scarce resources.’’
The President added that those in the private sector had also creditably discharged themselves in business, entertainment, hospitality, transportation and other forms of human endeavours to transform Nigeria.
‘‘We have amongst the recipients today, Amb. Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who are doing our country proud on the international scene. Our dear sisters are a source of inspiration to our young women that, through the dint of hard work and dedication, they can achieve greatness.
‘‘We also have on the list, Imam Abdullahi Abubakar, a religious leader who hid over 262 Christians in his mosque from attacks in Yelwa Gindi Akwati village, in Plateau State. He is a good example of religious tolerance we preach amongst Nigerians. I am excited that he is being honoured today with Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR),”he said.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
