Reps want FG to redeem pledge to 1983 Flying Eagles
The House of Representatives has urged the Executive arm to redeem its promise to award scholarships to the 1983 Flying Eagles in any academic institution of their choice due to their achievements.
Adopting a motion by Rep Abbas Tajuddeen (APC, Kaduna), the House said redeeming the pledge should be done within the current financial year.
Alternatively, the House said the Executive should reward any player who is late or not interested in the academic pursuit by monetizing the award, giving them national honours or honouring them in concrete terms.
It is now 34 years since the Flying Eagles first qualified for the FIFA tournament.
The lawmakers also mandated the committee on sports to liaise with the federal ministry of youths and sports to ensure the implementation of resolution. The the committee is to report back in six weeks for further legislative action.
Leading debate on the motion, Rep Tajuddeen said the 1983 Flying Eagles were the first Nigerian team to qualify for any Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) organized tournament.
He said the team emerged as African champions in the U-20 World Cup qualifying series to represent the African continent, for the tournament held in Mexico.
He said several other national teams had hitherto made attempts to qualify for such tournaments but failed, a development that made the then federal government to make the promise to give scholarship to each member of the team.
The government, he said, was yet to honour that pledge, which was why he came up with the motion. Majority of the lawmakers supported the motion.