Former Anambra State Governor, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has commended the Federal Government for making it a duty to honour Nigerians who distinguished themselves in their various endeavours by giving them national awards.
Ezeife made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.
He said national award served as motivation for recipients and would make them to contribute more to the growth of the country.
The former governor, who said that the award was a challenge to other Nigerians to do their best, however, called for better criteria for selection of awardees, pointing out that it should be given strictly on merit.
Ezeife, who was also a delegate at the National Conference, also commended the Federal Government and other stakeholders for the prompt containment of the Ebola Virus disease.
He said, "I say bravo to President Goodluck Jonathan with the way and manner government tackled the EVD outbreak. I can imagine the great ravage Ebola could have done to the greatest concentration of blacks on earth.
"The aggressive alacrity with which President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, confronted the dreaded monster must be celebrated."
According to him, the ability of the Federal Government to contain EVD is an indication that God is using Jonathan for his purpose in Nigeria.
"The knowledge of this fact is a clear sign that God's purpose is yet to be completed through him."
The former governor enjoined the Federal Government to honour the late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh; the first doctor that attended to the Ebola infected Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.
He said Adadevoh paid the supreme price to ensure that Sawyer remained confined, thereby saving the lives of millions of Nigerians from contracting the disease.
Ezeife, who stressed that the late doctor should be listed for national award no matter how long, added that, "it would have been remarkable if she was included in the 2014 National Award list."
NAN
