River State Governor Nyesom Wike has rewarded players of the state-owned football team, Rivers United, with the sum of 20,000 dollars each, over 12 million naira, for winning this year’s Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, title.
The win, which was the first in the club’s history, saw them finish at the top of the league with a record 77 points, 10 points ahead of second-placed Plateau United.
Mr Wike who officially received the trophy from the club at a reception in Government House Port Harcourt, said the players will be decorated with the prestigious Governor’s Medal Service Award for their feat.
He added that the team will be sponsored on a two-week all-expense trip to Madrid, Spain to prepare for the forthcoming Confederation of African Football, CAF Championship.
“Each of you will be given the Governor’s Medal Service Award first. All the players and management team, you are now going to have Governors Medal Service Award (GMSA) at the end of your name,” the governor said.
“The Commissioner of Sports should make sure that all of you will go to Madrid for two weeks and train. You know Madrid is where you can get the best team.
“You go there for two weeks, prepare with other clubs to enable you to prepare for the forthcoming CAF competition.
“All playing all these matches, you have one kind of pain and this, something should be able to push on. Each of you will go home with 20,000 dollars.”
Mr Wike also pledged to give each player $40,000, N16 million, should they go past the group stages of the next season CAF Champions League.
