Buhari decorates Adesina, Onobrakpeya with highest academic award
- President Muhammadu Buhari has decorated Adesoji Adesina and Bruce Onobrakpeya with the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM)
- The President Buhari declared that every winner of the award is unique
- The president, however, commended the board of the NNOM awards
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, December 7, decorated two prominent Nigerians, Adesoji Adesina and Bruce Onobrakpeya with the Nigerian National Order of Merit.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NNOM is an academic award conferred on distinguished academicians and intellectuals who have made outstanding contributions to the academic, growth and development of Nigeria.
The event which took place at the executive chamber of the Presidential Villa was performed on the president’s behalf by vice president Yemi Osinbajo.
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Adesina was recognized for his research work in engineering technology while Onobrakpeya was honoured for his creativity in arts and humanities spanning more than 60 years.
The president noted that the awardees distinguished themselves in their various disciplines adding that the award was the highest bestowed on any individual by the country for intellectual achievement of national and global importance.
He noted that the awardees brought to 75 the number of such recipients since its introduction 38 years ago. According to him, the recipients epitomized the highest degree of innovation and creativity.
He noted that while Adesina developed many chemical materials as well as trained many graduates including 42 PhD alumni now professors in highly ranked institutions and petrochemical industries.
He added that Onobrakpeya since pre-independence projected the African personality, propagated the concept of natural synthesis and advocated important social causes through arts.
The president noted that Onobrakpeya had shown that the artist was not just an entertainer but also a social commentator.
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According to him, “Every winner of the NNOM is unique and on behalf of the president and the people of Nigeria I congratulate you both on this great achievement.
“You are not just national treasures; you are now important milestones in the chequared history of Nigeria’s upward trajectory.
“Your stories and attainments now inspire the future; it is on the steady shoulders of your achievements that the coming generations of Nigerian artists and scientists will stand with confidence and hope. This is the awesome responsibility that you bear.''
The president commended the board of the NNOM awards and the assessors for a job well done and urged them not to rest on their oars.
He noted that Nigeria is a nation of great people and talent noting that the nation’s human capital “is the greatest resource that we have not our crude oil or solid minerals or land’’.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the president signed three bills into law which were earlier passed by the National Assembly.
The bills are the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Bill, the Air Force Institute of Technology of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, and the National Intelligence Agency Pensions (Establishment) Bill.
Are Nigerians truly tired of President Buhari? - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng