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Post creator: scrapper  Category: BUN/NEWS/SPORTS 
Date/Time posted: Jul 29, 2025 at 2:14pm

"Why complain?" - If BBNaija winner gets N150m, Falcons deserve Tinubu's reward" - Tinubu's aide

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's recent monetary and honorary rewards to the Super Falcons, following their victory at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

In a statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Onanuga responded to critics who questioned the appropriateness of the rewards, stating that President Tinubu's gesture was a celebration of excellence and national pride.

He drew a comparison to the ₦150 million prize money awarded to the winner of the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality show, suggesting that the government's gesture was equally, if not more, deserving of public appreciation.

"When you remember that Multichoice, the organiser of the BBNaija reality show, is offering the winner ₦150 million grand prize, you wonder why some Nigerians are unappreciative of President Tinubu's rewards to the Super Falcons," he wrote. "President Tinubu has rewarded excellence, creativity, hard work, soccer artistry, and the undying Nigerian spirit."

This comes shortly after President Tinubu hosted the triumphant Super Falcons at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

At the ceremony, each player and member of the coaching staff was awarded the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

In addition, the president announced a cash gift equivalent to $100,000 for each player and $50,000 for each coach, alongside a promise of three-bedroom apartments for all team members in the Renewed Hope Housing Estate in Abuja.

Onanuga's comparison sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many Nigerians debating both the choice of reward and the analogy to a privately funded reality show.

Netizens Reactions...

@Wale_Abdul commented; "Why is he gifting them in dollars? The richest countries in the world won't ever make such gifting to athletes who collect salaries."

@Bolanle_Juwon said: "Why dollars and not the equivalent in naira? The Nigerian government should, as a matter of urgency, do away with the line of promoting another nation's currency."

@Daroking said; "Which one is 'Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu' for our president's name? Well, as much as I'm happy for them, everything is politics. We have underpaid soldiers and police who also deserve better."

@Ezekwem_Franklin stated; "I'm not against the gift, but that amount is too much for a country whose citizens are living in abject poverty, infrastructural decay, and insecurity. This wasn't thoughtful from President Tinubu; it's not a good way to buy favour."

@Ghali_Ismael wrote; "Alhamdulillah Rabil Aalameen for HIS blessings upon us at all times and places. To say the least, I am very impressed with the way Mr. President rewarded the team. Congratulations once again."

@Official_dharmy said; "BBNaija is private money. Falcons played for the country. It's not the same. The comparison doesn't work."

@SirDavidBent asked, "Why is it so hard for the government to do the right thing without comparing it to a TV show?"

@IAm_Emma_Eze said; "Let's be fair, Tinubu's gesture to the Super Falcons deserves applause. Some presidents ignore sports achievements entirely."

See below:

'Why complain?' - If BBNaija winner gets N150m, Falcons deserve Tinubu's reward' - Tinubu's aide

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