by Laila Ibrahim

President Goodluck Jonathan has restated the commitment of his administration to the promotion of excellence in the country’s quest for rapid and sustainable development.

While conferring the 2014 Nigeria National Order of Merit Award (NNOMA) on Prof. Niyi Osundare, at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa on Thursday, December 4 in Abuja, Jonathan welcomed the new initiative of the Board of the Nigeria National Merit Award (NNMA) to promote excellence, while assuring that the federal government would consider recommendations made by NNOMA laureates (recipients) in the communique of their just concluded 7th annual forum.

The NNMA is the highest and most prestigious honour bestowed by the country on its citizens both at home and in the diaspora. The award is restricted to intellectual, academic and creative achievements in the areas of science, engineering and technology, medicine, humanities and other fields of human endeavour. It is presented by the president on the first Thursday of every December.

He said: “This administration will continue to promote excellence on merit as we strive to enhance rapid development and nationhood. In this regard, we welcome the new initiative by the NNMA to promote excellence.”

“This government will not only study the recommendations in the communique of the 7th annual forum of the laureates, we will also continue to support your initiative, efforts and solutions to major problems in our country. The report of the committee on the activities of the Nigeria National Merit Award is also being studied by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and recommendations from there would be implemented by government,” the President added.

Jonathan congratulated Osundare, a prolific poet, dramatist and literary critic, for the well deserved honour, which was accorded him due to hi remarkable intellectual and creative achievements.

He said: “Prof. Osundare, you are today admitted into this very admirable, respected and distinguished class of Nigerians as the 71st member of the body of the Nigeria National Order of Merit laureates.”

“By you remarkable achievement, you have put our nation on a high global pedestal and made Nigeria proud. I would like to urge you to sustain your interest on writing and research at the present level of excellence and impact directly your rich repertoire to all and sundry especially our upcoming generation.”

In his response, Osundare expressed his gratitude to the president and the NNMA board for finding him worthy of the honour, which he said stood out from all the awards he had recieved in his 40-year creative career.

He said: “To the best of my knowledge, the NNMA remains to date, about the only Nigerian Order of grave national importance relatively insulated from Nigeria’s typical political contamination.”

“It is a national institution with relatively formidable ramparts against the rampaging monsters of mediocrity and intellectual mendacity. We owe it as a bounded duty to ourselves and to our future to help it in the maintenance of its measure of integrity. We must keep supremely holy and hallowed that tradition of the First Thursday of December every year such as today.”