A list of Nigerians including the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, purportedly nominated for national honours by President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had gone viral on the internet.
The Nigerian Government has dissociated itself from the purported list of nominees for national honours.
A list of Nigerians including the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, purportedly nominated for national honours by President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had gone viral on the internet.
The list generated criticism, especially from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who described the nomination of the education minister as an insult to the Nigerian students who have been at home for almost eight months because of the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Among those on the list are the finance minister, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; defence minister Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihu Magashi (retd.); and Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
Others include the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria's secret police, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, DG, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Abubakar and the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.).
Magashi, Monguno, Baba, Abubakar are listed among those to be conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) while Zainab and Adamu are listed among those to be conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
But reacting to the purported list on Monday, the government described the list being circulated by some online media organizations as fake.
In a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Julie Jacobs, the Nigerian government denied the list and said that it will publish the list at the appropriate time and medium.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs has been drawn to a purported list of nominees for National Honours being circulated by some online media organisations.
“While it is true that President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, will be conferring National Honours on deserving Nigerians and friends of Nigeria on 11th October 2022, the authentic list of nominees is yet to be released to the public. The Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs will publish the list at the appropriate time and medium.
“Members of the public are hereby enjoined to discountenance the list in circulation as it is an attempt by overzealous reporters whose aim is to break news even when such news is fake.”