Confusion, shock as Buhari rewards 1985 Eaglets, others

It was confusion and grumbling galore inside the Presidential Villa when President Muhammadu Buhari mistakenly announed that each member of 1985 Golden Eaglets era will be given 200 million naira instead of proposed 2 millon naira.

Sports Minister Solomon Dalung actually stepped forward and corrected the president afterwards.

Ex-players who benefited from the reward includes but not only Fatai Atere, Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Baldwin Bazuaye, Victor Igbinoba and late Kingsley Aikiobare who was represented by his aged mother, among others.

The mild drama ensued when the President hosted Nigerian athletes that won laurels for the country since may last year when the present administration emerged.

While each player who featured for U-23 being Dream Team V1 and Olympic team side got N600, 000 (Six Hundred Thousand naira), the U-17 lads who were part of 2015 FIFA U-17 world championship were promised 1.2million naira each.

Highest on the list of those who got rewarded were 1985 class of Golden Eaglets with each ex-player getting 2 million naira each. The Eaglets then were first set of cadet team who represented Nigeria and eventually won 1985 U-17 World championship when President Buhari was Military head of state.

The million naira rain was not extended to Olympic-bound Nigeria’s senior basketball team, D’ Tigers who for the first time won Afrobasket last year. They were given N600, 000 (Six Hundred thousand naira each).

And so, most of them wondered why they will be invited to receive such an amount all the way from United states and other parts of Europe.

World Scrabble champion, Wellington Jighere eventually received 1.5 million naira just as his coach was rewarded with 1.2 million naira. There were also N600, 000 (Six Hundred Thousand naira) and N450, 000 (Four hundred and fifty thousand naira) cash gifts to Power lifters-gold and silver medallists  while victorious Nigerian wrestlers who emerged champions at World Wrestling championship just before 2015 African games got 1.2 million naira each

Earlier while making pronouncement Buahri enthused “We should encourage young players home and abroad who are eligible to play for the country. When you show appreciation for what sports men and women do, it encourages and inspires others.”

He further warned Sports officials not to allow a repeat of 2012 woeful Olympic performance adding “I am particularly concerned about our participation at the forthcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We must not allow a repetition of the unsavoury experience at the London 2012 Olympics where Nigerian athletes failed to make it to the podium."

Beneficiaries:

Wrestling: bronze medallist – N1.2 million; coach – N600,000.

FIBA 2015 Male Afro-Basketball Champions, D’Tiger players/gold medallists – N600,000 each; coaches – N600,000 each; team officials – N250,000 each.

2015 FIBA Africa U-16 female championship players/silver medallists – N400, 000; coaches – N400, 000 each; team officials – N150, 000 each.

2015 IPC Asian Open International Powerlifting championship, gold medallists – N600, 000; silver medallists – N450,000; coaches – N450,000; team officials – N250,000 each.

World English Language Scrabble Champion/beneficiary – N1.5 million; coach – N1.2 million; and team secretary – N450, 000.

WBC Cruiser-weight title, beneficiary, winner – N1.5 million.

2015 CAF Africa U-23 Cup of Nations champions/players/gold medallists – half a million naira each; head coach – half a million naira; assistant coaches – N300, 000; other team officials – N300,000.

2015 FIFA U-17 Male football champions/players/gold medallists, N1.2 million, head coach N900,000, assistant coaches N600,000, team secretary – N300; medical team – N300,000; other officials – N200,000 each.’’

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