From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A Benin-based human rights activist and president, One Love Foundation, Patrick Eholo, yesterday, picked holes in the list of those enlisted by President Muhammadu Buhari for the national awards, saying the likes of Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, the award-winning singer and songwriter, Burna Boy the late Abba Kyari don’t deserve being nominated.
He expressed his resentment while speaking with journalists in Benin as regards the choice of the president on those who have made the list to be honoured.
Eholo said the CBN governor has not been able to manage the nation’s economy very well citing that under his leadership, the country’s currency crumbled before the dollar.
Eholo said the songwriter is under investigation and should be allowed to prove himself innocent before being honoured just as he said the late Abba Kyari did not obey court orders when he was alive and on that, he doesn’t deserve any posthumous award.
“We have a list of people, yes, some of them are credible, people like Okonje Iwela, they are very credible, and some other persons, they desired it but how can you give an award to a CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who took naira from 190 to 740 as of today.
“Has Nigeria become a country that rewards failure? How can you give an award to Burna Boy, a song singer and writer who went to Cuba Club, again, Burna Boy can sue me on this if I am lying, to instruct his police to shoot a man that he wanted to take his wife from because the man resisted him?
“And I wrote a letter to the IGP, I wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, I wrote a letter to Human Rights Commission, I wrote a complaint to California, those who gave him the Grammy award and he is under investigation and this same person who is being investigated locally and internationally is being rewarded.
“Has Nigeria become that country that rewards failure? Abba Kyari, who did not do this country good before he died, who disobeyed every court judgement, and they are giving him the posthumous award my question is, is Nigeria going to enter the genuineness book of record as a country that rewards failure?,” he asked.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari should have honoured those who through their petty trade, trained their children to become doctors and lawyers who are contributing greatly to the country.
He said the country has had occasions where some persons find some huge amount of money in dollars left in their cars and returned same adding that such individuals are those who deserved to be honoured with an award.
He said the country has nothing to celebrate in her 62 years of existence as a nation that has gained her independence.