Jonathan showers cash on Eaglets, athletes

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday showered cash rewards on members of the National Under-17 football team, the Golden Eaglets and the Under-18 African Youth Athletic champions for their recent outstanding performances.

While the Eaglets finished second in the just-concluded African U-17 Championship in Morocco, the athletes topped the table at the maiden edition of the tournament held in Delta State.

Jonathan announced the various cash awards at a reception organised in their honour at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the cash awards were tokens as his administration did not want to spoil the young Nigerians with money.

He said, “In recognition of your performance, we are giving you a token cash appreciation. It is token because you are young people and we don’t want to spoil you.

“The U-17 players will get N500,000 each. Their coach will get N1m, the assistant coaches will get N750,000, the team officials will get N500,000 each while the team curator will get N300,000.

“For the athletes, we will give N500,000 for gold medals, N400,000 for silver medals, N300,000 for bronze medals and N500, 000 for technical officials.”

The President said it was heart-warming that despite all odds, the footballers and athletes have continued to sustain the nation’s glory in sports.

He said they have done the nation proud and his administration appreciates their efforts and patriotism.

Jonathan said he was delighted that 2013 has been quite an eventful year for the nation’s football sector starting with the winning of the African Nations Cup in February.

He said his administration was glad about positive results in the sector and will insist that stakeholders continue doing the right thing to get the desired results.

PUNCH