Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the Presidency’s defense of the $100,000 cash reward given to the Super Falcons following their triumph at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
His comments came in response to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, who questioned public criticism of the reward and compared it to the N150 million prize awarded to the winner of the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality show.
Onanuga, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, suggested that those condemning the President’s gesture were being ungrateful, arguing that the Falcons’ reward was modest compared to what BBNaija winners receive.
However, Ibe countered the comparison in his own X post on Wednesday, stressing the difference between public and private funds.
“Dear @aonanuga1956, I believe that the Super Falcons and indeed any other team or individuals who have made Nigeria proud deserve to be rewarded. That’s a no-brainer,” Ibe wrote. “However, the comparison to Multichoice paying N150 million to winners of BBNaija is misplaced. Multichoice is spending private money generated from its business operations while Tinubu is spending from our commonwealth.”
He concluded with a metaphor: “Even the fish that lives inside bodies of water does not consume water with reckless abandon.”
According to Daily Post, President Tinubu awarded each player of the Super Falcons $100,000 and each coach and support staff $50,000 for their WAFCON victory. In addition, the players and technical crew were conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
The President also announced that each team member will receive a three-bedroom home as part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Housing Scheme.
