MKO Abiola cannot be awarded GCFR because he is not a Nigerian - Dino Melaye (video)
- Senator Dino Melaye argued against President Buhari's award of GCFR to Abiola
- The Kogi senator said this is a breach of law as Abiola was dead
- He claimed the law states the person conferred must receive it in person
Senator Dino Melaye has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari over his posthumous award of Grand Commander of Federal Republic to Moshood Abiola.
The senator representing Kogi West spoke on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, June 7, saying the president should be cautious against breaching the constitution.
Premium Times reports that Melaye cited Chapter 43(2) of the National Honours Act saying since Abiola was dead, he should receive the GCFR award.
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He said: “I am a democrat, I believe very sincerely that Chief M.K.O Abiola deserve even more than the president has pronounced because he is a true patriot, philanthropist and should be so decorated.
“But Mr. President, we are governed in the country by the constitution and extant laws. No matter how beautiful a situation is, the law of the land remains the law of the land.”
“Subsection 2 of the act says a person shall be eligible for appointment to any rank or holder unless he is a citizen of Nigeria. A dead man is not a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We should not be emotional about this. The law remains the law.”
The senator also argued that the law states that the award be conferred to someone in person and since Abiola was dead, it was a breach of law.
“Subject to the next notice, a person shall be appointed to a particular rank of an order when the president receives him in person.
"Mr. President, they said in person for us to do what we are supposed to do, we would have to amend the provisions of this act because anything we need to do, we have to do in accordance with the provisions of the law," he stated.
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Legit.ng had reported that Alfa Belgore who is a former chief justice of Nigeria said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s post homous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic to Chief MKO Abiola was illegal.
Premium Times reports that Belgore said this on Wednesday, June 6, after the president’s move.
He said: “It is not done. It is for people living.”
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Source: Legit.ng
