Onanuga Justifies Tinubu’s Largest to Super Falcons for WAFCON Victory
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, has staunchly defended President Bola Tinubu’s magnanimous reward to the Super Falcons amidst criticism from certain quarters in concerning the lavish gifts bestowed upon the nation’s women’s football team.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Onanuga juxtaposed the President’s largesse with the prize money awarded by the reality television show Big Brother Naija, suggesting that some Nigerians failed to appreciate President Tinubu’s generosity toward the triumphant players.
He penned: “When one considers that Multichoice, the orchestrator of the BBNaija reality show, offers the victor a grand prize of ₦150 million, it is perplexing why some Nigerians remain unappreciative of President Tinubu’s offerings to the Super Falcons. President Tinubu has honored excellence, creativity, diligence, soccer artistry, and the indomitable Nigerian spirit.”
This remark emerges amidst discourse surrounding Tinubu’s opulent package for the national women’s football team following their acquisition of the 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco on Saturday.
On Monday, the President welcomed the victorious Falcons at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and announced national honors alongside substantial financial rewards for the team.
Each player was conferred the national honor of Order of the Niger (OON), granted a three-bedroom apartment, and awarded $100,000 (approximately ₦153 million) in cash.
The 11-member technical team was likewise bestowed $50,000 (₦75.6 million) each in acknowledgment of their pivotal role in the team’s triumph.
President Tinubu extolled the team’s resilience, lauding their comeback from a two-goal deficit against host nation Morocco as “a testament to the Nigerian fighting spirit.”
Despite widespread jubilation over the victory, some detractors have questioned the magnitude of the reward amidst Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The Super Falcons’ latest WAFCON triumph solidifies their standing as Africa’s most illustrious women’s national team, marking their 10th title.
