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JUST IN: President Buhari Honours Jonathan, Wike And 44 Others
- President Muhammadu Buhari conferred Service Awards To Former President Goodluck Jonathan
- 16 Governors, including Nyesom Wike were also awarded
- UN has expressed concern over the flooding in Nigeria
- The flood has killed over 600 citizens
President Muhammadu Buhari has honored former president Goodluck Jonathan and 43 other prominent Nigerians with service awards. An event, the president attended in person and currently taking place in the Conference room of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to The Punch, the awards will also see 16 state governors, including Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and service chiefs honored with various awards for their services.
The announcement to award these imminent Nigerians was said in a statement made by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on behalf of Nnamdi Mbaeri, Ph.D., FCA Permanent Secretary (General Services Office).
It read, “The Best Strategic Media in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is organizing the maiden edition of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service.
“The Award recognizes and rewards innovation, leadership, and other exceptional achievements of individuals that have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Public Service and the country at large.
“The Award will be presented by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.”
The Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service was established to recognize the outstanding achievements of Nigeria’s citizens, government, local community, or state via leadership, service, or humanitarianism.
The recipient must be a living public official or private citizen who continuously excels in a particular sphere of influence, be in good moral standing, and be at the forefront of service and innovation in order to be eligible.
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Meanwhile, the UN has expressed concern over the flooding in Nigeria, which has impacted the lives of more than 2.8 million men, women, and children. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said this at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.
According to Nigerian authorities, over 600 people have died, and 1.3 million people have been displaced. “We are gravely concerned that the flooding will worsen the already alarming food insecurity and malnutrition situation in Nigeria,” stated Mr. Dujarric.
“More than 440,000 hectares of farmland have been partially or totally damaged at a time when more than 19 million people across Nigeria are facing severe food insecurity.’’
According to FAO, the UN official added that cereal production would likely decline by 3.4 percent compared to 2021 due to flooding, high agriculture production costs, and insecurity.
“Since July, national authorities in Nigeria have provided food, non-food items, and clean drinking water to thousands of impacted households,” he added. “We, along with our humanitarian partners, are supporting the government with assessments and response, notably in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, as well as in other impacted parts of Nigeria.”
The UN official also noted that the organization “have provided emergency shelter kits, and are working to create local water drains, sandbags, and walling around shelters to mitigate the impacts of the flooding.”