The National Award has come and gone but the controversy over should or not get continues to reverberate especially with the tacit rejection of the one conferred on the world acclaimed novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe.

While some others believe that the situation in the country does not call for celebration nor award for any individual, some others argue that the criteria for giving the award is flawed while some people who received do not deserve it.

Veteran coach and former Green Eagles player, Paul Hamilton told Sunday Vanguard Sports at the weekend that Enyimba Football Club should have been considered for a national honour because they deserve it. According to him, “Enyimba deserve any award from the federal government because they broke a jinx which was too strong for clubs in the country to break. I am talking about the CAF Champions League which they won back to back.”

He added that besides the Champions League effort, “they have shown quality in their play and winning mentality in their approach to football in the Nation’s elite league.”

The former Super Falcons chief coach also addressed the promise made to the team by former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo after they won the Champions League, adding that “It issomething that those running football in this country should help push for them so it could be fulfilled.

We don’t celebrate our own here in this country, that is why we find many mediocres in the system.”

Enyimba’s list of achievements apart from the Champions League triumphs include back to back win of the professional football league in 2001 and 2002 as well as being the first winner of the Premier League in 2003.

The club went ahead to win the Nigeria Premier League for three consecutive seasons, including winning the Nigeria Super Cup and Africa Super Cup in 2002 and 203 respectively. Also added to the club’s array of trophies are the Nigeria LG Cup, Globacom Premier League in 2005, the Coca Cola FA Cup and Super Cup in 2005.

In 2007 the repeated the feat of winning the Globacom Premier League trophy as well as that year’s Super Cup. In 2009, the club also won the maiden edition of the Federation Cup after reaching the semi of the CAF Champions League a year before.

At the state level, Enyimba have won the Challenge Cup six times consecutively and got to the semi final of the 2010/2011 CAF Champions League.

In all these achievements, one man stood like a rock, leading the management team conscientiously as chairman of the club. He is Felix Anyansi-Agwu whoon his own has equally amassed so many awards from his state, other states as well as from state and the national bodies of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN.

With the 2011 National Awards gone, Enyimba Football Club, like coach Hamilton rightly suggested as well as their chairman, Chief Anyansi-Agwu should be considered by the award panel or individuals responsible for nominating awardees for the 2012 edition.