Christian Chukwu, MFR, has lamented that 26 years after helping the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, the Federal Government is yet to fulfill its promise of rewarding them with a house each.
‘Chairman’ Chukwu spoke exclusively to Completesports.com in an interview at his Enugu residence.
The Super Eagles first won the African Cup on March 22, 1980 in Lagos after an emphatic 3-0 thumping of the Desert Foxes of Algeria.
Alhaji Shehu Shagari was President of Nigeria then and he promptly rewarded the players and their officials with 504 Saloon car each and a house each at Festac, Lagos.
But in 1994, General Sani Abacha, who mounted Nigeria leadership throne on 17th November, 1993, was in power when the Super Eagles went to Tunisia, saw and conquered, making it the second time Nigeria would lift the most coveted trophy on the African continent.
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An elated Abacha, obviously toeing the reward steps of his Shagari, announced a promise of a house each to the players and their officials in Abuja, the nation’s seat of power.
But unlike President Shagari who promptly matched his words with action, Abacha did not fully redeem his pledge as most of the players and some coaches, including Christian Chukwu who was assistant to Clemens Westerhof then, are yet to get their houses.
On May 24, 2019, Westerhof was handed documents of his own house in Abuja after his compatriot and for assistant , Johannes Bonfrere got his own house as reward for leading Nigeria’s U-23-Eagles to Atlanta’96 Olympics gold medal feat.
Chukwu says there had been several efforts made by those who are yet to be so rewarded but nothing good has come out of it.
“Between 1994 and today (2020), how many years is it?,” Chukwu rhetorically asked in his usual soft tone.
“We know of a fact that some, especially those who accepted to have houses in Abuja, have all collected theirs.
“But those of us who took the Lagos option after the offer was made to us, are yet to get our houses, and this is 26 years after that historic victory in Tunisia.
“A child born 26 years ago would have gotten married and started having children if a girl. And if a boy, he would have started planing to start his own family.
“Now, we are being told there’s no house and that they would give us in our respective states.
“We had thought we would get them when Babatunde Fashola was Minister for Works and Housing.
“But that didn’t happen. Yes, we have been making efforts and as we speak now, there are still efforts as one of us has been assigned the role of pushing our demand through,” Chukwu reiterated.
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