Pres. Jonathan Splashes Cash On Blessing Okagbare and Coach
For winning two medals for Nigeria at the last IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, Blessing Okagbare was Wednesday rewarded with N3 million cash gift by President Goodluck Jonathan. Okagbare’s coach, Daniel Esebinimo, also smiled away from the Presidential Villa in Abuja with N3.5 million.
President Jonathan, who made the gifts before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday, also pledged that the federal government would also in not too distant time confer national honours on the duo.
He harped on the need for the country’s athletes to haul in more gold medals at the forthcoming Olympics Games.
Jonathan congratulated Okagbare for her feat in Moscow, winning a silver medal in the women’s long jump as well as a bronze medal in the 200m.
He disclosed that both the sports and finance ministries have been urged to encourage the country’s athletes in their quests to win more laurels for Nigeria.
“We have taken a decision that in the next Olympics, we must get medals, gold medals. The last Olympics that we could not get any medal, except the Paralympics that we were able to shine, was a bad story,” Jonathan noted.
The president further said: “We have challenged the Ministry of Sports and of course, the Finance Ministry to do all what can be done to make sure that we support that sector so that our young men and women will do our country proud.”
He thanked Okagbare “for this uncommon success and the uncommon dedication to our fatherland.”
According to the president, “Nigeria has been known as a sporting nation, but for sometime we slide back. But we are lucky that we are building up today. I believe that with young ladies and men like Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria will get back to where we belong and even go further.”
Presenting the awardees, Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that in the last one year, the president has recognised “various sports men and women who have proven themselves on the world stage and have become a source of pride for us all.”
“There is no doubt that these achievements are as a result of Mr. President’s focused leadership and because of this, Nigeria is again becoming a force to reckon with in sports. In athletics, just like in football and weightlifting, we have become the number one nation in Africa,” Abdullahi stressed.
Speaking with State House correspondents, Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, from whose dormain Okagbare hails, recalled that historically the state has been a trend setter in clinching sports glory for Nigeria since the days of Samuel Ogbemudia as military administrator of the old Bendel which later split into Edo and Delta states.
“Blessing (Okagbare) was discovered at one of the local championships in the state and since then, has grown to be who she is today. So for us in Delta, sports is a very serious business and we take it serious. We ensure that we encourage our athletes. We have the infrastructure and we also have the talents in a way of developing human capitals,” he pointed out.
On her part, Okagbare, who promised to work harder in anticipation of the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, expressed gratitude to the Delta State Government and her mentor, Chief Solomon Ogba, who have always been there for her.
She advised youths to work harder and “understand that it is not going to be all rosy. There is bound to be up and down. But regardless of the outcome, just believe in yourself.”
Blessing Okagbare
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