President Goodluck Jonathan with members of the Super Eagles
An appreciative nation Tuesday
honoured its heroes: members of the Super Eagles national football team
and their officials who did Nigeria proud by winning the Africa Cup of
Nations trophy that had eluded the country for 19 years.
The celebration of the team started
right on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,
where they were besieged by an ecstatic crowd that had been waiting for
them.
The players and officials arrived in
Abuja at about 3.20pm from Johannesburg, venue of the just-concluded
continental soccer tournament, during which they defeated the Stallions
of Burkina Faso by a lone goal to lift the trophy. They arrived without
Victor Moses and Ambrose Efe.
Super Eagles’ Coach, Stephen Keshi,
was N10 million richer courtesy of the Federal Government. In addition,
he was conferred with the nation’s fourth ranking national honour –
Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Each of the players got N5 million and were conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).
The team captain, Joseph Yobo, who
also got a cash gift of N5 million like other players, was, however,
conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger
(OON).
All the assistant coaches also got N5
million each and were also conferred with the national honour of OON
while the technical officials got N2 million each.
In addition to the cash gifts and the
national honours, Jonathan also announced that each member of the team
will get a plot of land in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The allocation
papers were presented to them at the ceremony.
The president also announced donations
from individuals such as Chairman, Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga ($1m);
former Managing Director, United Bank for Africa Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu-
($500,000) and Sir Emeka Offor ($500,000).
The nation’s leading entrepreneur, Alhaji Aliko Dangote gave a cash gift of N5 million to each of the players.
At the event, which started two-and-a
half hour behind schedule, saw Jonathan acknowledging the superlative
accomplishment of the Super Eagles noting that it was an “awesome
achievement for which you deserve a praise from a grateful nation.”
He also noted that the victory of the
team is the most precious gift that the Super Eagles had presented to
the nation so close to its centenary celebrations next year.
According to him, the success of the
team will put a spritely “spring in our steps,’ emphasising that the
victory is a reminder that “Nigeria is a land of possibilities where
dreams can come true” and it is also an indication the citizens'
‘inspiration’ and ‘resilience.’
The president who recalled with
bitterness the lack-lustre performance of the country in previous
tournaments, describing such outings as ‘very humiliating’, said owing
to this antecedent, many Nigerians gave the Super Eagles no chance of
winning the trophy as “the general perception was that our football has
been dissipated of its energy.
Many didn’t believe Super Eagles could deliver.”
Contrary to the expectations, the
president who described Keshi as a legend, observed that the team
refused to be held back as it focused on its goal “with inflexible
will’ by refusing to surrender.
“Your victory is a good indication
that there is a victory for us as we work to transform Nigeria,” he
said, declaring that his administration’s process of rebuilding sports
has just begun.
He added that his government will
continue to support sports just as he expressed appreciation to the
technical crew, state governments, corporate bodies and individuals
that contributed to the success of the team.
He urged the team to work seriously towards qualifying for the next World Cup in Brazil.
In his speech, Minister of Sports,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who said the victory of the Super Eagles was a
milestone and not a destination, appealed to all stakeholders to put
the years of acrimony behind them and stop creating crisis where none
exists.
Among the dignitaries who graced the
state banquet to honour the Super Eagles were Vice-President Mohammed
Namadi Sambo; Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan, governors, ministers and chieftains of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) led by its National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga
Tukur.
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