.Approves 959 applicants for national award

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The National Council of States (NCS) rose from its meeting on Thursday and approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to grant prerogative of mercy to 175 inmates in various correctional facilities across the country.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State who made this known to newsmen at the end of the NCS meeting held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, said the gesture is aimed at decongesting Correctional Centres and promoting restorative justice.
He explained that the move reflected the government’s commitment to tempering justice with mercy, while ensuring that deserving inmates are given a second chance to reintegrate into society.
Sani stressed that the Council considered a report from the Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, presented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) which recommended various clemency measures.
According to him, out of the 175 beneficiaries, 82 inmates were granted presidential pardon, 65 had their sentences reduced, while seven death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
The governor was, however, not forthcoming on the names of the beneficiaries.
The presidential prerogative of mercy, enshrined in Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), empowers the President to grant pardons, reprieves, or commute sentences.
It is typically exercised after careful consideration of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, which assesses factors such as age, ill health, good behaviour, or cases of miscarriage of justice.
Sani also stated that the Council took key decisions on national appointments, approving Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Dr. Aminu Yusuf as Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), following recommendations by President Tinubu.
The NCS further ratified the appointment of Alhaji Tonge Beta Bularafa as Federal Commissioner representing Yobe State at the NPC.
Also briefing newsmen, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who also doubles as Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, described the nomination of the new INEC Chairman, Amupitan, as a constitutional responsibility diligently discharged by the President.
He said the appointment received unanimous endorsement, with speakers hailing the nominee as “a serious-minded scholar, a man of integrity, tested and trusted, who has never participated in partisan politics.”
The National Council of State also approved President Tinubu’s request for conferment of national honours award on 959 eminent people.
Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr. Emanso Umobong, told reporters that out of the number, 824 successful applications were recommended and another 135 special awards.
Although, she did not disclose the full list, she said that of the Ogoni nine were posthumous.
Her words: “Today, council also approved the report of the National Honors Award Committee for the year 2024 and 2025 and the special awards that were earlier bestowed by the president from January 2025 to date.
“The president in August 2024 approved the reconstitution of the National Honors Award Committee, ably chaired by His Royal Highness Justice Mohammed Sidi Bage.
“The award of titles of honor and decorations of dignitaries is a yearly event at which the president honors deserving nationals and non-nationals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the nation and humanity. After the expiration of the last committee, another committee was set up.
“The reconstituted committee, which is to serve for a period of four years, consists of eminent Nigerians as members. The committee met several times, screened over 5,000 applications, and recommended deserving citizens and friends of Nigeria for admission into the nation’s role of honors.
“After diligent screening and selection process by the committee, a total of 824 successful applicants were recommended for the 2024-2025 National Honors, and 135 special awards by the president, bringing it to a total of 959 awardees.
“In the spirit of inclusive national recognition, President Bola Tinubu had conferred national honors on several deserving Nigerians and friends of Nigeria this year, including Bill Gates for his contributions to public health and humanitarian support in Nigeria, living and fallen icons of Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle in celebration of 26 years of unbroken democracy marked on 12th June, 2025, Uncle Sam Amuka-Pemu, a legendary journalist and publisher, the Ogoni nine and Ogoni Four honored posthumously for their environmental activism and sacrifice.
“The Super Falcons of Nigeria and the Tigress were honored for their international representation and achievement in sports, and Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, the immediate past INEC chairman, was also honored for his service to Nigeria’s democratic process. The list of the successful candidates will be published shortly.”
Also briefing newsmen, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, said there was a request to increase the Nigerian Police Trust Fund.
According to him, the Nigerian Police Trust Fund was established by the federal government in 2019, with a renewable lifetime of six years.
He said: “The purpose of establishing the Nigerian Police Trust Fund was to support training and retraining of police personnel. The second one is to provide financial resources to enhance police equipment, logistics, and infrastructure.
“It was established also to support modernization of the police through investments in technology, vehicles, communications, and crime fighting tools, improve welfare and morale of police personnel, promote accountability, transparency, and governance, also to enhance crime prevention and public safety, strengthen capacity for emergency response and disaster management, fund ongoing training, specialized courses, and skill development, foster public-sector and private sector engagement, channel contributions through individuals, corporations, and civil society into police enhancement programs.
“The concerns we had in the Police Trust Fund, the sunset close of six years in the current act limits the lifespan of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund, and impedes long-term planning thereby constraining sustainable police reform.
“The deduction of 0.5 percent from the federation account needs to be reviewed upward to two percent of the federation account.
“So we also prayed that the council should approve the repeal and the reenactment of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund Establishment Act 2025 in order to remove the sunset close and transition it into an agency.
“Second, the council to approve 22 percent deduction from the federation account. And the last one, direct the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to input all the approvals of the council in the proposed executive bill.All these prayers have been approved without any omission.”
The National Council of State meeting was virtually attended by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Also in attendance were former Chief Justices of Nigeria; President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; state governors, and other statutory members of Council.

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