PDP knocks Tinubu over GCON conferment on Indian PM

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Tinubu for decorating the visiting Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister, with the Nigerian second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

In an interview over the weekend, Timothy Osadolor, Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, described the President’s action as misplaced priority.

But Nze Chidi Duru, Deputy National Organising Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), kicked, arguing that the President didn’t do anything unprecedented.

The PDP’s criticism comes a few hours after Tinubu conferred Modi with the highest honour in the land during the Nigeria/India Bilateral meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President said the award was bestowed on the Indian Prime Minister as a show of appreciation for their partnership and bilateral relationship.

He said, “Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India. We work to deepen and broaden the same to the mutual benefit of our two friendly countries. You have been doing a good job historically. Winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much.

“I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria’s national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner,” Tinubu said.

On his part, Modi commiserated with Nigeria over the recent floods that ravaged several cities across the country, including Maiduguri, Borno State.

The Indian Prime Minister promised to support Nigeria with 20 tonnes of relief materials.

”We had a very productive discussion with President Tinubu. We talked about adding momentum to our strategic partnership. There is immense scope for ties to flourish even further in sectors like defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education and more,” Modi said.

However, the PDP expressed disappointment in Tinubu, wondering why he chose to gift the second highest national honour in the land on the basis of mere friendship.

The member of PDP National Working Committee emphasised that though the President has the right and prerogative to confer a national honour on anybody, there must be criteria to show why they deserve it.

“It is not something you dish out for the sake of friendship and all of that. I don’t know what the Indian Prime Minister has done to have warranted such an honour. But this is the second highest honour in the land. It is a misplacement of priorities.

“I would have thought that the President should have asked the Indian Prime Minister how the Indian economy has been able to move away from being the poverty capital of the world to being one of the fastest growing economies in the world now. The biggest tech moguls across the globe at the moment are all Indians.

“Just look at Microsoft, the Silicon Valley in America and startups. They are all being run and set up by Indians. I would have thought that Tinubu, in a bid to shore up the lacuna his cabinet lacks, would have been humble enough to ask the Prime Minister to offer him a clue as to how to help his government and Nigerians. Not dishing out unnecessary awards that the man doesn’t need other than for pictures and commentary,” he said.

Meanwhile, a United States of America-based Nigerian security expert, Dr. Sylvester Okere, on Sunday, said the Indian-Nigerian partnership would secure the people’s assets.

Okere, who would be among personalities that would be hosted by the Central Association of Private Security Industry from November 21 to 22, 2024 in India, said the invitation by CAPSI to the 19th Security Leadership Summit 2024 in New Delhi was coming at a time when the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi arrived in Nigeria for a state visit.

Okere will speak on ‘Indian-Nigerian Partnership in Securing People and Assets,’ as well as other critical security issues affecting both countries.

According to a report, CAPSI, the umbrella organisation of the Indian private security industry, has ties with some of the leading global security education organisations like the World Association of Detectives, International Federation of Protection Officers, the US-based Association of Investigation and Security Agencies Regulators and the United Kingdom-based Security Institute for training and placement of trained youth in foreign countries.

Okere said, “This visit to Nigeria by the Indian Prime Minister will pave the way for high-level discussions between the two Presidents, focusing on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, energy, and education.”