FG showers national honours, lands, houses on Super Eagles, officials

CAPTIONSPic 5. President Bola Tinubu (M); Vice President Kashim Shettima (2ND R); Super Eagle Coach, Jose Peseiro (3RD L) and Super Eagles Players during a Presidential Reception for the Eagles their impressive performance at the just concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (13/2/2024)0150/FEB/11/2/2024/Callistus Ewelike/NAN

The Federal Government, yesterday, conferred the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) on all Super Eagles members in appreciation of their performance at the just concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Earlier yesterday, the Federal Government, represented by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had also granted each member of the team a plot of land as well as a flat in a yet-to-be-announced location.

At yesterday’s reception held at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, President Tinubu told members of the team: “I am very proud of you. This country is proud of you because you gave us great excitement. Your performance is a confirmation that we can achieve so much as a nation if we all come together and unite for positive purposes, despite our diversity.

“You worked very hard and navigated your way through to the final. You lifted our spirit; you made us proud, and you made us smile.”

The President then conferred National Awards of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) on all the players and their officials, as well as the president of NFF, Ibrahim Gusau, and the NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.

All the 25 players and their officials are now proud owners of a flat and a plot of land each in the Federal Capital Territory.

President Tinubu described defender and vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong, named Player of the Tournament, as a ‘warrior’ and named Africa Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen as a ‘Trojan horse’. He praised the Federal Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation for their efforts in preparing the team for glory.

Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, described President Tinubu as the biggest sports-supporting president Nigeria has ever had, and lauded the NFF for ensuring that for the first time in a long time, Nigeria has returned from a major sporting competition without any crisis or complaints of any kind by the athletes.

Responding, Ekong, on behalf of the entire team, thanked the president for the awards and gifts: “I wish we were here presenting Your Excellency with the trophy, but that is not the case despite giving our very best to the campaign. We have two people in this team who have gold medals, each sitting on either side of me (Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo). In 2019, we won bronze medals. This time, we won silver medals. I believe that at the next competition, we will strike gold.”

The Federal Government’s gesture is among the many gifts from a grateful nation to the team, who defied all odds to win the silver medal at Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

Shortly before the final game on Sunday, the Progressive Governors Forum showered N250 million on the Super Eagles for doing the nation proud in Cote d’Ivoire.

Also at the occasion were Vice President, Kashim Shettima; Tajudeen Abbas (Speaker of the House of Representatives); George Akume (Secretary to the Government of the Federation); Femi Gbajabiamila (Chief of Staff to the President); Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Minister of Youth Development); Nyesom Wike (Minister of the FCT); Mrs Tinuke Watti (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports Development), NFF board members and other top government officials.