The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Jisalo, has urged the Nigerian National Merit Award to seek out more Nigerians, home and abroad, deserving to be conferred with merit awards.
The minister, who lamented that only 79 Nigerians had bagged the award since its inception in 1979, urged the body to recognise more Nigerians.
A statement by the ministry’s Director of Press, Anastasia Ogbonna, said the minister spoke on Thursday during a familiarisation tour to the body.
“The minister was, however, not so pleased that since 1979 that the award was instituted, only 79 persons have so far been conferred with the honours.
“He added that selection should be expanded to include politicians and even young people who have excelled in different endeavours,” it read.
Earlier, the acting NNMA Secretary, Mercy Moro’a, pleaded with the minister to use his wealth of parliamentary experience to help improve their poor budgetary allocations so that they can carry out their mandates.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ibiene Roberts, noted that the familiarisation visit was to ensure “a harmonious coordination of government policies and projects, particularly those that require cooperation between different tiers of government and parastatals.”
The PUNCH reports that the Nigerian National Merit Award is different from the National Honours Award. While the former is earned, the latter is conferred.
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