President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday assured the Golden Eaglets team that won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 1985 that his administration will fulfill the promises he made to them 30 years ago.
He was said to have made the promises during a reception held in honour of the players at Dodan Barracks, Lagos, in celebration of their outstanding victory.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Shehu quoted the President as saying that it had been brought to his attention that a directive which he gave to the state governments at the time had not been complied with.
“It is a pity that those promises were never fulfilled. It is unfortunate that our players, who did us proud on the world stage, went unrewarded for their efforts, despite a presidential directive to the state administrators that they be honoured in their home states,” the President was quoted to have said.
Shehu said of the various promises made to the players at the time, only the Federal Government fulfilled its own commitment by sponsoring the players on a trip to watch the 1986 World Cup, which took place in Mexico.
He added that the promises of houses, scholarships and naming of streets after each player were supposed to have been catered for by the states.
The statement noted that shortly after the commitment was given, the military administration under Muhammadu Buhari was replaced and that despite repeated representations made to succeeding governments by the players and their officials, the promises made were left unfulfilled.
“I apologise for whatever embarrassment and disillusionment in your country these raised and then dashed hopes may have caused you. My government will do all within its power to remedy the situation,” the statement further quoted the President as saying.
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