The Conferment Of National Award On Gilbert Chagoury -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

Asiwaju will be remembered in history as the most controversial man that has ever led the country called Nigeria. His past and background are shrouded in mystery; his coming to power is controversial, his political appointments are lopsided and disagreeable just as all his decision have been questionable. There was outrage last year when media report indicated that about 60 out of the 147 convicts serving different jail terms in Nigerian prisons granted state pardon by Tinubu were drug barons and those convicted of drug-related offences. And the fuss about the payment of $9million taxpayers’ money in December last year to contract the services of a US lobby firm to cover up the story of purported Christian genocide and insecurity in Nigeria is yet to die down when the news filtered in the penultimate week through a tweet from a Lagos billionaire business man, Femi Otedola revealing the conferment of the national award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), an award reserved for the country’s Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker of House of Representative and the Chief Justice of the Federation to a Lebanese-Nigerian business mogul, Gilbert Chagoury.

The said national award was secretly and quietly conferred on Albert Chagoury on his 80th birthday by Tinubu and was not made public until Femi Otedola inadvertently spilled the bin through a congratulatory message on his X-handle. And confirming the award, one of the Tinubu’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, who in the past had exposed the relationship of the awardee with the Abacha’s family when he was the publisher of the defunct News Magazine said the award was in recognition of the Chagoury’s contribution to the Nigeria economy. In the citation, Tinubu had said that the award was in exercise of the power vested in him under section 1(4) of the National Honors Act stating among other things that it was, “in recognition of your outstanding virtues and in appreciation of your services to our country, Nigeria.”

The National Honours Act 5 of 1964 was established to recognize and reward personalities that have made outstanding contribution in our country. The National Honors Award Committee go through a rigorous process to identify and recommend those deserving of these awards. The different criteria include: contribution to nation-building, community development, service to humanity, professional excellence and the upholding of national integrity.

Thus, when viewed against these criteria, many Nigerians are opposed to the award of the GCON on Chagoury on the grounds of integrity. No doubt, the Lebanese billionaire, the chairman of the Chagoury group is an established business mogul with investments in construction, real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, and telecommunications among others. He was a known associate of Nigeria’s former dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha. It is reported that he helped the Abacha’s family set up accounts with SG Ruegg Bank in Geneva that enable them benefit from illegal transfers of over $120 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). And after Gen. Abacha’s death, he returned an estimated $300m to the Nigerian government to secure indemnity from possible criminal charges related to money laundry. In the 2000, Swiss prosecutors convicted Chagoury in connection with money laundering funds tied to Abacha’s regime wherein he agreed to forfeit $66 million to the Nigerian government as part of a settlement and was fined $600,000 fines in a Geneva court.

Furthermore, available information shows that Chagoury is a personal friend and business partner of the Tinubu family, a relationship that dates back to when Tinubu was the Lagos State governor between 1999 and 2007. Tinubu’s son Seyi is said to be on the board of some of the Chagoury’s companies representing his father. Tinubu is alleged to have favored Chagoury with questionable high-profile contract award. That was why there was intense controversy when Tinubu awarded the $11billion Lagos-Calabar coastal highway contract to Chagoury’s company Hitech, a deal which did not go through competitive bidding. There was also public outcry when the contract of N1.1 trillion to renovate Tincan and Apapa Ports was awarded to the Chagoury Company. Many complained that the contracts were not only inflated but unappropriated by the National Assembly.

The complaint about the award of national honor to Albert Chagoury is not because he is a foreigner as may be insinuated by some. It is clearly because of his antecedent. Obviously, he is not the first foreigner to receive the Nigerian National Award. The prestigious awards are not limited to Nigerians alone but are also conferred on distinguished foreign nationals whose efforts have positively impacted the nation, reflecting the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect between Nigeria and other nations across the globe. In 1969, Gen. Yakubu Gowon conferred the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Queen Elizabeth 11 and in 1989, the then head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida conferred the award of GCFR to also to Queen Elizabeth of England. Gen. Babangida again conferred the nation’s highest award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic to Nelson Mandela of South Africa when he visited Nigeria in 1990 after his release from prison by the South African Apartheid Regime. During the Abacha regime, the GCFR award was conferred Col. Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and President Ibrahim Bare Mainnassara of Niger in 1997. In 2005, Susanne Wenger, the Austrian-born artist was awarded Officer of the Niger (OFR) award by Obasanjo.  Again, last year November, Tinubu gave the Nigerian national award to Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister.

Thus, it is clear from all of these that Nigerians are not opposed to giving national awards to foreigners after all deserving Nigerians are also being recognized and given awards and appointments in foreign land. In the case of Chagoury, Nigerians feel Tinubu is using our national title as a personal gift to his friend. The secret manner of the conferment of the controversial award speaks volume about the suitability or otherwise of the process. Long live Nigeria!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com

An actress, social activist, politician

London, UK