Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan has conferred national honours on members of the victorious Super Eagles team that won the AFCON 2013 in South Africa.
The President also on Tuesday announced donations of cash and a plot of land to each of the Super
Eagles at a special reception held in their honour at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The head coach, Stephen Keshi, was honoured with Commander of the Order of Niger, while the assistant coaches and the captain of the team, Joseph Yobo, were conferred with Officer of the Order of Niger
.
The players and other handlers of the team were conferred with Member of the Order of Niger.
Jonathan also announced a donation of N10 million to Keshi, N5 million each to the assistant coaches and players and N2 million each to other technical officers.
Each member of the team was also presented with a certificate of occupancy for landed property in the Federal Capital Territory.
The President also announced cash gifts from members of the business community which included Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga jnr, Emeka Offor, Jim Ovia, Tony Elumelu and Alhaji Abdulsamad Isiaka-Rabiu.
He said Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta had promised to host the team to a special reception in the state.
Jonathan noted that the team had recorded an awesome achievement for which they deserved praises, honour and gifts.
He said they had put a ``gold smile’’ on the faces of the people, reminding them that "Nigeria is a land of opportunities and achievable dreams."
Jonathan, who gave the assurance that his administration would continue to give sports its pride of place, charged the players to make sure they qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Earlier, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the Chairman, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), introduced members of the team and invited them to the podium for recognition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the captain of the team, Joseph Yobo, presented the trophy to the Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, who in turn presented same to the President.
Earlier, the minister gave thanks to "God of all possibilities" that gave Nigeria victory at the tournament after 19 years of waiting.
``We have waited for 19 years to win this cup, we cannot afford to wait for such a long time again,’’ he said.
Abdullahi recalled how the President reminded members of the team before they left for South Africa that Nigeria had won the AFCON trophy only twice.
The minister said that the President’s vision and passion for sports as demonstrated in the October 2012 presidential retreat on sports had paid off.
The minister noted that winning the trophy was a milestone but not the desired destination of the administration to make Nigeria the champion of Africa in all sports.
He said the team, by winning the trophy, had demonstrated Nigeria’s character of resilience.
The minister commended the team, led by the coach, Stephen Keshi, for their courage and hard work as well as the local clubs that produced some of the players.
On his experience as sports minister, Abdullahi said his few years of overseeing the ministry had shown that the sector is "peculiarly complex".
He urged sports administrators to put rancour and acrimony aside and stop creating and seeking crises where they did not exist.
Among the dignitaries at the dinner were Dame Patience, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate president David Mark and his deputy, Sen Ike Ekweremadu as well as Aminu Tambuwa, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha.
Also in attendance were governors Peter Obi of Anambra, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Gabriel Suswan of Benue, Tanko Al-Maikura of Nasarawa and Babangida Aliyu of Niger. culled from nannewsngr (NAN)
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