Again, Okoku wants Jonathan to fulfill scholarship to 1983 Flying Eagles

FORMER Flying Eagles captain, Paul Okoku has urged the Federal government to convert the scholarship awards promised the 1983 Flying Eagles team into financial rewards.

  Okoku who spoke on behalf of his teammates, told The Guardian in a telephone chat from his base in the United States of America that failure by past government to fulfill its promise thirty-three years after was not good enough.

  He hinted that some of his teammates are in financial difficulties, just as he disclosed that some of them have deplorable health condition.

  “Some of us are lucky because we have other means of livelihood and that has aided our progress in life. Most of us were students as at that time and the federal government gave us two options. We had the options of houses and scholarship, but we opted for the scholarship because we were young and needed to further our education. Since then, we have been making appeal to the government, but all to no avail,” he said.

   Okoku revealed that he and some of his USA-based teammates likes of Tajudeen Disu, Femi Olukanmi and Humphrey Edobor decided that the scholarship should be converted to a financial reward so that it get to those entitled to it.

  “The scholarship was a reward by the government to show appreciation for being the first national team to qualify for any FIFA tournament in the history of Nigeria. It opened the gate for Nigeria to qualify for World Cup at all levels,” he stated.

  The 1983 set of the Flying Eagles however commended the effort of Director General of the NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye, for making recommendations to the Presidency on the issue.