- Flays action as ‘deeply unpatriotic’, ‘utterly shameful’
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – The Labour Party (LP) has slammed President Bola Tinubu for rewarding the Nigeria’s female team, the Super Falcons in U.S. dollars, following their 3-2 victory over host Morocco in the finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
According to the Party’s interim National Chairman, Senator (Mrs) Nenadi Usman, it is “utterly shameful” that the President chose to financially reward the female football team with an international currency, rather than the domestic Naira.
In a statement issued by her spokesman, Ken Asogwa, on Tuesday, Senator Nenadi said that watching Mr Tinubu on the National TV announcing that the female team would receive financial rewards equivalent to $100,000 was not only nauseating but also ‘deeply unpatriotic’.
The statement further said, “Even if, as some may argue, he meant the Naira equivalent, the symbolic elevation of the dollar over our national currency by the Commander-in-Chief is a damning indictment of his administration’s economic mindset.
“This act speaks volumes about the level of disdain and lack of faith this government has in the naira—the very symbol of our economic sovereignty. Perhaps, at this rate, we should expect the national budget to soon be presented in dollars, or worse still, in a basket of foreign currencies.
“The Tinubu administration, having supervised the free fall of the Naira, from an already precarious N500 to over N1,500 to the dollar, appears to have thrown in the towel”.
The LP Chairman maintained that a “President who openly shies away from promoting his national currency sends a dangerous message to the world and to his citizens”.
She said no matter the explanation offered, President Tinubu’s action showed that the Naira is not worth defending, adding, “It is no surprise, therefore, that the World Bank, in its latest review, listed the Naira among the worst-performing currencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, depreciating by approximately 43 per cent year-to-date.
“This has been attributed to surging demand for the U.S. dollar and an eroded confidence in the Naira, the actual practice the President has been busy abetting.”
“When the highest office in the land sets such a tone, what moral ground do we stand on to call on others to have faith in our currency? If this is not patriotism in reverse, then what is?”, the statement queried.
Recalled that while hosting the Super Falcons to a reception at the Villa, President Tinubu announced a cash award of the Naira equivalent of $100,000 to each of the 24 players and $50,000 to each technical crew member.
Additionally, he conferred National honours on all the players and the 11-member technical crew, following their historic triumph at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) held in Morocco.
Furthermore, one three-bedroom apartment has been allocated by the Presidency to each player and technical crew member in the government’s Renewed Hope Housing Scheme.
