NIGERIAN NATIONAL HEROES REGISTER

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Laws of the Nigerian Federation

NIGERIAN NATIONAL HEROES REGISTER

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

1. Nigerian National Heroes Register
2. Chief Registrar.etc
3. Eligibility and certain restrictions on persons in Government.
4. Procedure for nomination.
5. Power to direct registration, etc.
6. The register and power to inscribe therein names of the first national heroes.
7. Regulations.
8. Short title.

SCHEDULE

Persons already declared as national heroes 

NIGERIAN NATIONAL HEROES REGISTER ACT

An Act to provide for the establishment of the Nigerian National Heroes Register in which shall be permanently inscribed the names of Nigerians, both living and dead, who deserve a place of honour in our national history.

[1979 No. 47.]

[10th August, 1979]                     [Commencement.]

1. Nigerian National Heroes Register 

(1)    There is hereby established a register to be known as the Nigerian National Heroes Register (in this Act referred to as “the Register”) in which shall be inscribed in a permanent form, the names of citizens of Nigeria (whether alive or dead) deserving a place of honour in Nigeria’s history.

(2)    The Register shall be kept within the premises of the National Hall and shall, subject to such conditions necessary for the securing of its safety and preservation as may be prescribed by the President, be open to inspection by members of the public.

2. Chief Registrar, etc.

(1)    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation shall be the Chief Registrar and shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, do or cause to be done, all such things as may be necessary for the purposes of this Act.

(2)    In pursuance of subsection (1) of this section, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation may designate such number of public officers to be Registrars to assist him in the discharge of his functions and the due administration of the provisions of this Act.

3. Eligibility and certain restrictions on persons in Government

(1)    No citizen of Nigeria shall be nominated for consideration as a national hero unless the following conditions are satisfied, that is to say-

(a)    he shall have rendered continuous service of a public nature (whether or not in the public services in the Federation) for a period of not less than ten years;

(b)    he shall be or have been a person of undoubted integrity;

(c)    he shall have achieved distinction in his chosen occupation, profession, calling or in any field of human endeavour whatsoever; and

(d)    if alive, he shall not be less than fifty years old and, if dead, he shall not have died before 1st January, 1914.

(2)    Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a person holding any executive, legislative or judicial office in the Government of the Federation or in any State or local government shall not be nominated for consideration as a national hero while still holding any such office and shall continue to be so ineligible for nomination, until his death or
until after the expiration of a period of five years upon his ceasing to hold such office, whichever is earlier:

Provided that where a person who ceased to hold office for such period or longer period is thereafter re-elected or, as the case may be, appointed to again hold any such office, the period of five years aforementioned shall be computed from the time he ceased finally to hold any such office.

4. Procedure for nomination

(1)    The nomination for consideration of a person as a national hero may be made by any citizen of Nigeria to the Council of State.

(2)    Every nomination under this section shall be in writing, addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and shall set forth, in respect of each person nominated-

(a)    his full names and address;

(b)    his biographical data;

(c)    his personal attainments and specific contributions to national achievements; and

(d)    such other particulars as would, in the opinion of the person making the nomination, assist the Council of State in arriving at a determination in the case.

5. Power to direct registration, etc.

(1)    Where the Council of State upon receipt of a nomination is of opinion that the circumstances are such as to render it expedient that the name of the person concerned should be inscribed in the Register, the Council of State shall advise the President accordingly, and the President may thereafter give such directions relative thereto, as he
may, in his discretion, think fit: Provided that the President shall not direct the inclusion of the name of a living person in the Register if there are already not less than five names of other living persons
in the relevant part of the Register.

6. The Register and power to inscribe therein names of the first national heroes 

(1)    The Register shall be divided into two parts, namely-

(a)    the first part for persons who are dead; and

(b)    the second part for living persons and which shall not, at anyone time, contain more than five names.

(2)    Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, the persons mentioned in the Schedule to this Act are hereby declared as national heroes and, accordingly, their names shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, be inscribed in the first part
of the Register, without further assurance but for this Act.

(3)    The President shall, as occasion may demand, by order published in the Federal Gazette, add to the list in the said Schedule the names of other persons who may, from time to time, be declared as national heroes and whose names have been duly inscribed in the Register.

7. Regulations

The President may, after consultation with the Council of State, make regulations as may be necessary for the purposes of this Act and the due administration thereof.

8. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Nigerian National Heroes Register Act.

SCHEDULE
[Section 6 (2).]

Persons already declared as national heroes

Mr Alvan Ikoku

Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Mr Herbert Macaulay

General Murtala Ramat Muhammed

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

No Subsidiary Legislation