From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, alongside five other indigenes of the state, has received the prestigious award of the Commander of the Order of the Niger, (CON), and others in an investiture performed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Governor Bagudu led other five distinguished indigenes of Kebbi State to be inducted with the national awards at a grand ceremony on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Abubakar Muazu Dankigari, in a statement made available to newsmen, “the Kebbi State Chief Executive has excelled in various fields as an astute politician, an icon of unity, facilitator of industrialisation, an administrative intellectual and cradle of agricultural revival in Nigeria which led to food security and rice surplus in the country.
“This feat earned Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu the honour of being appointed by President Muhammad Buhari as the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Rice and Wheat Production in Nigeria as well as Vice Chairman to Mr President, National Food Security Council.
“In addition, Senator Atiku Bagudu has brought rapid industrialisation to Kebbi State as is evident in the establishment of modern world-class rice mills and the largest tomato processing factory on the African continent in the State by Private investors coupled with regular electricity supply.
“The Governor is also a great achiever in rural and urban transformation with an emphasis on intra and intercity roads construction as well as infrastructural development”.
Dankingari added that other recipients of the national awards from Kebbi State are Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Professor Muhammad Tijjani Bande, Grand Commander of the order of the Niger, (GCON) Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Commander of the Order of the Niger, (CON)Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi, Kebbi North, Commander of the Order of the Niger( OON) the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN, Officer of the Order of the Niger, (OON) and former Vice-Principal, Federal Government College Birnin-Yauri and now the Principal Federal Government College, Daura, Alhaji Mukhtar Gulma, member of the Order of the Niger, (MON).
He said that Governor Atiku Bagudu and the other recipients were beautifully decorated with national awards by President Muhammadu Buhari in an epoch-making event in Abuja.