Stakeholders in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, have urged the Federal and State Governments to prioritise the welfare of workers, pensioners, and security personnel who labour daily to keep the nation safe and productive.
They made the call in separate interviews on Wednesday while reacting to the recent national honours and cash rewards given to the Super Falcons and D’Tigress following their international victories.
President Bola Tinubu had recently conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on the players, approved a cash reward of $100,000 each, and allocated three-bedroom apartments under the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme. Their coaches and technical crew received $50,000 each.
While commending the gesture, respondents urged government to broaden its reward system to cover professionals in other sectors who contribute significantly to nation-building.
Dr. Peter Onwe, a lecturer at Ebonyi State University, said recognising athletes promotes patriotism, but academics, inventors, medical experts and soldiers also deserved similar recognition.
“Rewarding athletes who bring international glory is good, but our academics and frontline workers hardly get the same appreciation despite their sacrifices,” Onwe said.
Dr. Louis Omenyi, Chairperson of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Alex Ekwueme Federal University, added that the cash gifts showed Nigeria had the resources to improve workers’ welfare.
“The reward demonstrates that Nigeria is not poor. If the government can give athletes such amounts, then it can also cater to its workers,” he said.
A retired army colonel, who requested anonymity, emphasised that workers and pensioners’ welfare should be government’s top priority.
Mr. Christopher Elom, a civil servant, decried poor remuneration of state employees, noting that some states were yet to implement the approved ₦70,000 minimum wage.
“Workers spend their lives serving government yet struggle to access gratuities and pensions, while billions are announced for victorious athletes. Government must strike a balance,” Elom said.
A doctor at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital also warned that poor remuneration was driving the mass emigration of health professionals.
“Every day, doctors and nurses leave for greener pastures. Nigeria should create a system that retains experts instead of only celebrating athletes, many of whom play abroad,” he said.
According to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), over 5,000 doctors leave the country annually.
Stakeholders across various professional groups therefore called for a review of the national reward policy, insisting that while celebrating sporting achievements is commendable, productivity and patriotism would be better sustained if all categories of workers were equally valued.
