STAKEHOLDERS in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital have called on the Federal and State Governments to prioritise the welfare of Nigerian workers, pensioners and security personnel who labour daily to keep the country safe and productive.
The stakeholders spoke to journalists against the backdrop of the national cash rewards and honours bestowed on the Super Falcons and D’Tigress following their continental and global victories.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu recently honoured the teams with the national title of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and approved a cash reward of $100,000 for each of the players and $50,000 for members of the coaching and technical crews. He also announced the allocation of three-bedroom apartments to all players and crew under the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme.
While commending the gesture, some stakeholders argued that government should streamline the national reward system to include other professionals who make outstanding contributions to nation building.
A lecturer in Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Dr Peter Onwe, said recognising athletes was a way of encouraging patriotism and excellence, but stressed that other fields of endeavour also deserved recognition.
“Rewarding sportsmen and women who bring international glory is good, but our academics, inventors, medical experts and soldiers fighting at the frontline hardly get similar recognition despite their sacrifices,” Onwe said.
Reacting, chairperson of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (A-EFUNAI), Dr Louis Omenyi, said that the cash rewards and other donations to the victorious teams were pointers that Nigeria is rich and could afford to treat its workers well.
“The reward goes to show that Nigeria is not a poor country and it has chosen to reward athletes with such amount, it means that it can cater for the wellbeing of its workers,” Omenyi said.
A retired army colonel, who pleaded anonymity, also commended the gesture but urged governments to place workers’ and retirees’ welfare as a top priority.
Also, Mr Christopher Elom, a civil servant in Ebonyi, expressed concern that state workers were poorly remunerated while some states still struggled to implement the approved ₦70,000 minimum wage.
“Workers spend their lives serving the government, yet face difficulties accessing gratuity and pensions, while billions are announced for victorious athletes. Government should strike a balance,” he said.
A medical doctor at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, who also spoke on condition of anonymity said that poor remuneration was driving mass emigration of Nigerian medical professionals.
“Every day doctors and nurses leave in droves for greener pastures; Nigeria should build a system that retains its experts, instead of celebrating athletes who mostly play abroad,” he said. Statistics from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) revealed that more than 5,000 doctors leave the country annually.
Meanwhile, other respondents across social and professional groups also urged government to review and streamline its reward policy in line with prevailing economic realities. They maintained that while celebrating sports victories was commendable, patriotism and productivity would flourish more if all Nigerians who sacrifice for the nation on the field, in classrooms, in hospitals or on the battlefield were equally valued.
