Labour Party slams Tinubu over dollar reward to Super Falcons
The Labour Party (LP), under the leadership of its interim national chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu for announcing cash rewards to Nigeria’s Super Falcons in United States dollars rather than in the country’s currency, the Naira.
President Tinubu had earlier declared on national television that each player of the victorious Super Falcons squad would receive “the equivalent of $100,000” as a token of appreciation for their performance. The announcement has since sparked debate, with the opposition party calling the decision “utterly shameful” and “deeply unpatriotic.”
In a statement issued by her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Eluma Asogwa, Usman said the move sends a dangerous message about the declining value of the Naira and suggests a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s economic identity.
“The Naira has been one of the worst-performing currencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, depreciating by approximately 43% year-to-date. The Tinubu administration, overseeing the free fall of the Naira from N500 to over N1,500 to the dollar, ends up promoting a mindset that elevates the dollar over the national currency,” the statement read.
Usman warned that such public gestures could further erode trust in the Naira and diminish the country’s economic sovereignty. She stressed that rewarding national heroes in foreign currency contradicts the government’s moral obligation to inspire confidence in the Naira.
The Labour Party also questioned President Tinubu’s commitment to national pride and patriotism, arguing that the act carries a moral burden, especially at a time when Nigerians are being urged to endure the effects of currency devaluation and inflation.
Senator Usman called on the federal government to take urgent steps to defend the Naira and adopt policies that reinforce the nation’s economic stability and self-worth.
