FRANCIS ACHI/ ABUJA

Bar. Solomon Dalung , the Minister of Youth and Sports Development,  has said  that the smooth qualification of the Super Eagles for Russia 2018 World Cup with a game to spare saved the country N7billion.

Dalung revealed  this on Friday in Abuja while giving  his speech during the Award Dinner for Retirees and Medalists at the VIP Lodge of the Abuja National Stadium. He  praised the efforts of the ministry in ensuring that the Super Eagles were adequately motivated and supported in their quest to qualify for the football mundial.

According to Barr. Dalung , the Super Eagles have always struggled to qualify for the previous World  Cup tournament that necessitated previous government to set up Presidential Task Force in the past and this special task forces gulped a whopping N7billion, but the situation changed for better in this dispensation and Nigerians did not experience hypertension to see their beloved team hoist the Nigerian flag in Russia.

” We are glad to inform Nigerians that for the first time in so many years, the Super Eagles qualified for the World Cup tournament with a game remaining in the group. Nigerians were happy , but most importantly is the fact that the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development saved the nation N7billion, which would have gone into setting up a Presidential Task Force as was witnessed in previous governments, ” Barr. Dalung said.

He added : “The ministry will continue to support the development of sports in Nigeria”.

He, however frowned at the reward system in Nigeria , which has not really honoured  the sporting heroes of the past, especially after serving their fatherland in their prime and forgotten at their retirement age, left and abandoned to suffer cruel fate at their old age.

“The problem in Nigeria and in sports particularly is the reward system. The real people who served the country are not recognised and rewarded with national awards.

“The national awards are not just for the politicians. People in civil service that served this country meritoriously ought to be rewarded and that is the reason the ministry is rewarding retirees and medalists , who excelled serving their fatherland, ” he said.  .