The Bad optics of Tinubu’s N5.4Billion cash price to heroic Falcons

The Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu gifted the heroic Super Falcons of Nigeria after winning the WAFCON 2024 in Morocco a whooping total sum of N5.4Billion naira.

Below is the breakdown of the entire money.

Tinubu has promised the Super Falcons:

🏠 3bedroom apartment for each player.
💰$100,000 (N150million) for each player.
🥇OON National Honor to the whole team.
💰$50,000 (N75million) for each technical committee member.

There’s also a donation of 360million naira for the team from the Nigerian Governors forum (N10m from each of the 36 states).

Ordinarily, this is supposed to be a plausible donation aite?

Now let’s break this down……

Bola Tinubu is a man who thrives on optics, i mean, give it to him, atleast, unlike late Buhari who doesn’t care about Optics, Tinubu cares more about how the public perception defines him and his administration.

Now, let’s get down to the brass tacks…

Nigeria, a country grappling with massive poverty, Malnutrition, and government’s inability to fund its own budget is seen donating billions to super Falcons?

Let’s not get this twisted, it has nothing to do with the heroic ladies…. It wouldn’t have bothered me if Nigeria is wealthy, i mean, this is the “poverty capital” of the whole world.

So they said!!!

There’s something inexplicably worrying about the recklessness of Tinubu’s spendings and his priorities.

You’d recall that same Tinubu embarked on 21 Billion Naira spree for the renovation of the vice-president’s house, buying yacht, presidential jets, luxury cars for the lawmakers,et al….

All these were done whilst he told Nigerians to tighten their belts.

THE BAD OPTICS… 

“Tinubu is like that proverbial father who tells the kids to eat one meal day, moves to a twin duplex rented apartment in Lekki, borrows massively to pay the rent, watches the kids drop out of school due to inability to pay school fees, children suffering from bizarre Malnutrition and disease.

Yet, this same father attends events, donating millions to people, sponsoring other kids from other villages whilst his own kids are out of school, and barely feed “.

 

READ ALSO : Politics Vs Football :The Hypocrisy of Nigerian Politicians

 

Contextualize the above metaphorical analogy to the event that happened at the Aso villa yesterday.

Nigerian Nurses are to embark on warning strike as they issue warning.

Are you aware that Tinubu’s Government hasn’t been able to complete payments of the wage awards promised the civil servants after he yanked off the fuel subsidy and minimum wage increase?

Oh, i forgot to tell you, it’s 30,000 a month we’re wailing about..

A Nigerian professor may not be able to get a cumulative of that 150Million naira Tinubu gave to each of the super Falcons in  their entire civil service career. What a tragedy.

That’s news for another day….

WHAT AM I SAYING?….

1. Bola Tinubu has no business promising 5. 4Billion to the Super Falcons just to show the world that Nigeria is rich, meanwhile, the current reality says otherwise, atleast to the ordinary Nigerians not the transactional politicians. To them, Nigeria is never broke.

2. This is setting a very bad precedence where true patriotism may be overtly monitized.

3. Where does Tinubu hope to get the money to fund those promises after Nigeria is flagged currently for reaching over 50% borrowing threshold. (it means, Tinubu has borrowed more than Jonathan, Buhari together in just 2 years, even with subsidy removal).

Dear Tinubu, there’s nothing wrong with rewarding any Nigerian team or representatives, but there’s everything wrong when you go overboard.

Give a modest reward which is sustainable in the long run without creating room for bad blood incase other ones never gets same.

Finally, congratulations 🎊 to the heroic super Falcons..

My name is Echezonam Ibezim jk, writing from my village hut.