The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, received the esteemed national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), from President Bola Tinubu.
During his speech on October 1, the President honored the speaker and the deputy senate president by conferring them with the prestigious Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) title.
This sparked a debate in the House on Wednesday, with people asking the President to give the Speaker a bigger honor.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, said in a statement.
“President Tinubu was persuaded by the House of Representatives position and has decided to remedy the historical error and oversight.
“Thus, he has decided to upgrade the Speaker to GCON from CFR, in accordance with the National Order of Precedence,”
The President mentioned that the speaker, President of the Senate, other important officials of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria would be officially decorated with their new honors later.
My Personal Notes:
While some say it’s pressure, I will say it’s wisdom. You can’t underate the power of the house of representatives.
One of the key leadership lessons I learnt from the book, Leaders Eat Last, is that leaders have empathy over those they lead.
If giving them GCON is what makes the entire reps happy, please give them.
A leader doesn’t mind sacrificing his own happiness to make his proteges happy.
Leadership is choosing peace over being right.