Former chairman of the Special Committee on Recovery of National Assets, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has criticized President Bola Tinubu's recent national honours awards presented to pro-democracy and human rights activists during the Democracy Day celebrations in Abuja.
In a statement issued in Calabar, Obono-Obla highlighted a significant error in the awards ceremony where a 'posthumous award' was reportedly given to Dr. Edwin Madunagu, who is still alive. Madunagu currently resides in Calabar, though he lost his wife, Prof. Bene Madunagwu, on November 26, 2024.
While acknowledging that recognizing pro-democracy activists was "a significant step in the right direction," the former presidential aide expressed disappointment that many activists from the South-South geopolitical zone who actively contributed to Nigeria's democratic struggle were overlooked.
South-South Contributions Overlooked
"There are many pro-democracy activists from Rivers (beyond the Ogoni Seven), Akwa Ibom, and the old South Eastern States who, despite not being based in Lagos, fought valiantly for democratic governance," Obono-Obla stated.
He recalled his own role as Chairman of the Universal Defenders of Democracy in Cross River State, where he "stood firmly in the fight for democracy alongside numerous human rights organizations."
Obono-Obla attributed the oversight to media coverage that predominantly focused on Lagos and Ibadan, resulting in inadequate recognition of contributions from the South-South zone in the national discourse.
"I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to broaden the scope of recognition and ensure that all individuals who played a pivotal role in Nigeria's democratic struggle, regardless of their region, are honored in the next Democracy Day celebration in 2026," he added.
Recognition of Democratic Struggle
Despite his criticisms, Obono-Obla acknowledged that the contributions of those recognized this year to Nigeria's democracy are "invaluable."
"Those individuals fought tirelessly and made tremendous sacrifices to ensure the return of democratic governance in 1999, particularly those who struggled for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 election won by Chief Moshood Abiola but unjustly annulled by the military," he noted.
The national honours were presented by President Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja as part of activities marking Democracy Day in Nigeria.
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