Gidado Idris, ex-SGF, rejects national honour

Chris Agbambu, Abuja - 13.02.2008

AHEAD of the conferment of national honours on some distinguished Nigerians tomorrow by President Umaru Yar’Adua, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Gidado Idris, has rejected his award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

Rejecting the award, the ex-government scribe insisted that the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, had given him the award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) in 1999, which was cancelled by former President Olusegun Obasanjo through the Christopher Kolade panel report.

Gidado querried the rationale for giving him the CFR and thereby rejected it.

This is not the first time an awardee is rejecting a national honour in Nigeria as in 2006, writer and novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe, rejected an award given to him by former President Obasanjo.