A former friend of President Muhammadu Buhari and chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for handing national honours to those he claimed were undeserving of recognitions.
Gladimma claimed that 98 percent of those who received the national honours ought to have been in jail.
No fewer than 440 Nigerians and seven foreigners received national honours from the President on Tuesday at State House in Abuja.
People from many regions of the nation, including politicians, businesspeople, public employees, and others, received the national honour.
Galadima, who addressed the situation in an interview with Arise TV on Friday, criticized the President for bestowing honours on what he called undeserving Nigerians.
Out of the 447 honorees, he claimed that 440 had questionable morals and ought to be imprisoned.
Galadima said: “When you say Buba Galadinma, did you use engineer, Alhaji or whatsoever? I have never taken a chieftaincy title and even the Galadima, if I have my way and if not that it is on my school certificates from primary to university level, I could have dropped the word (Galadima) because that is a traditional title and I don’t need it.
“Let me tell you, of the 447 people that were given these national awards, I think 440 of them need to be in prisons rather than parading themselves as people who deserved an honour. Of what purpose is the honour? What is an honour for some of these people? It is a reward for the boys and you know General Muhammadu Buhari himself has severally accused Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, late president Musa Yar’Ádua and Goodluck Jonathan of giving awards, medals and national honours to people of doubtful characters.
“Who is it among those that he gave these national honours have impeccable characters? for me, these awards should be given to people who have retired with unblemished careers and have not been followed by either ICPC or EFCC.
“Better still, be given to those who died in national service. I will rather give it to a cook that knows how to cook better than give it to a recharge card seller turned trillionaire and that is my view.”