Tinubu confers Nigeria’s second-highest national honour on Awujale

President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, announced the conferment of Nigeria’s second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON), on the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, to mark the monarch’s 90th birthday celebration.

The president announced this at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, during the commissioning of the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona School of Governance Studies and the presentation of a book, titled, “Reinventing Governance in Nigeria: The Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Model.”

The President, represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said the monarch deserved the second highest honour in the land because of his contribution to nation-building and meritorious service to humanity.

Mr Tinubu noted that the numerous contributions of the Ijebu monarch to national development, particularly in the education sector, had expanded the sector for optimal delivery through various donations and endowments.

He described the monarch as a forthright and exceptional character who stood his ground and confronted injustice in all ramifications.

He also commended him for his role in ensuring the return of democratic governance in Nigeria.

Mr Tinubu noted that the Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance Studies would be taken over and managed by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.

“Because Kabiyesi Adetona has honoured our country and humanity with his many years of meritorious service, I, therefore, on this occasion of his 90th birthday ceremony, confer on him the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON),” the president said.

In his remarks, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, described the Ogun monarch as a living legend and a phenomenon whose reign has been a monumental success and a pride to the entire Ijebuland and the state at large.

According to the governor, the monarch represents the beauty and the candour of the ancestral heritage of the Ijebu people.

He said the monarch’s passion for governance and accessible commitment to education led him to institute the Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance in the Department of Political Science of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.

“This initiative has led and given birth to the establishment of the world-class Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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“He also championed the Ijebu Development Board on poverty eradication that has become a model in the entire country,” Mr Abiodun said.

Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Toyin Ashiru, a professor, said that the establishment of the School of Governance was aimed at fostering dialogue among scholars, policymakers and practitioners on matters of governance, leadership and public service.

He noted that it would serve as a hub for research, knowledge sharing and capacity building to equip people with needed skills for effective governance.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Ayodeji Agboola, noted that the Awujale had contributed to the development of the school through the donation of offices, lecture and seminar rooms, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) materials and Library.

He assured that the vision and mission of the School of Governance Studies would be pursued to make it a centre of excellence in good government and leadership in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

In a lecture, titled, ‘Changing Nigeria’s Governance Narrative,’ the occupant of the Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, OOU, Akinsola Agagu, a professor, noted that since independence, Nigeria has grappled with democratic crisis, corruption, mismanagement, ineptitude, and insecurity, among others.

He observed that the situation led to the non-achievement of dividends of independence in the country.

He attributed the governance and development crises in the country to the absence of a seamless intersection of democratic politics and legal culture.

He stressed that the continuous political crisis was due to the flawed culture, thereby reducing politics to a lawless and amoral vocation.

To change the narrative and put the country on the right track, Mr Agagu said, public-spirited individuals in all facets of life were urgently needed.

He also said that patriotism, concern for the people, vision, honesty, transparency and accountability as well as impeccable character, as exemplified by Mr Adetona, should be the hallmark of those in positions of leadership.

Responding, the monarch appreciated the people for their support and for honouring him with their presence. He prayed for peace in the families, state, and the country.