An Abuja based group, Conscience Nigeria, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to confer national honour on the athletes who won medals for the country at the just concluded London Paralympic Games.
The Executive Director of the group, Mr Tosin Adeyanju, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Adeyanju, such honours will help to revive the spirit of dedication and commitment among sports men and women as well as inspire others to do well in future competitions.
He said “if merit and patriotic national service is considered as the yardstick for giving national honour, the paralympians should be celebrated and their efforts rewarded with befitting honours“.
He said that the medalists deserved a befitting honour and adequate compensation.
?“They have shown the resilient Nigerian spirit by winning 13 medals which include six gold, and they made us proud as a nation.
“This is the time for the country to justify excellence and patriotic service with good rewards, “ Adeyanju said.
He appealed to the president to use the opportunity to revive the sports sector with reward for good service and excellence.
The director expressed confidence that the honour would go a long way to change the perception of the youths about Nigeria.
“The gesture will stimulate many youths to work harder to salvage the nation and take its rightful position in the comity of progressive nations'', he said.
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