Posted by By MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN on
The Super Eagles duo of Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu are among the list of notable Nigerians that would be honoured by President Olusegun Obasanjo, today (Tuesday), at the State House in Abuja.
The Super Eagles duo of Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu are among the list of notable Nigerians that would be honoured by President Olusegun Obasanjo, today (Tuesday), at the State House in Abuja.
The event would be the highlight of the activities for the Presidential Fund Raising and Recognition Dinner for Sports Development for well meaning Nigerians, who had contributed to the development of sports.
Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, a chief supporter of the Super Eagles and a patron of two Premier League clubs (Sharks FC and Dolphins FC) and Governor Bukar Ibrahim of Yobe State (President of Hockey Federation) are the two governors on the Presidential awards list.
Also on the impressive list are Chief Molade Okoya -Thomas, a sports philantrophist and financier of the popular Asoju Oba Cup for table tennis , one time chairman of the defunct National Sports Commission. Brig. Samuel Ogbemudia (retd), fomer Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Alhaji Babayo Shehu as well as Mr. Sunday Dankaro, a former chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA).
Leading the athletes, category is the current president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mrs. Violet Odogwu-Nwajei, Armelia Okpalaoka, Falilat Ogunkoya, Mary Onyali and Chioma Ajunwa.
Speaking to our correspondent, the MD of Team Nigeria Fund, Alhaji Suleiman Baba Ali noted that it's high time the contributions of individuals and organisation were recognised, in order to help in the growth and development of sports in the country.
" We always sing that the labour of our heroes should not be in vain and this is the reason the President is giving honours to these Nigerians, who have contributed so much to the development of sports in the country," he said.
" This is government way of thanking these Nigerians and corporate bodies and this is something that we would do from time to time."
Corporate bodies that would get a pat on the back for their support for sports include Globacom, MTN, NNPC, Coca Cola, Cadbury, Exxon Mobil, Nestle Foods, Guinness, Nigerian Breweries and De United Foods.