President Bola Tinubu’s cash gifts to the Super Falcons and D’Tigress have been described as an abuse of Nigerian currency.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the interim National Publicity Secretary for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in a short statement condemned the foreign currency cash gift handed to the female players by the president.
Recall that President Tinubu while receiving the players of Super Falcons (Nigeria’s female football team) and the D’Tigress (the female basketball team) rewarded them for emerging victorious in the just-concluded Women’s African Cup of Nations and the AfroBasket tournaments.
The players were given $10,000 each, three-bedroom flats, and a national honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
Their technical teams also received a cash reward of $5,000.
However commending the president for rewarding the female players, Abdullahi said it is strange that the cash gifts were announced in foreign currency.
He also accused the presisent of showing disregard for the sovereignty of the nation’s currency.
Abdullahi called on the president and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to stop the abuse of the naira.
He wrote on X, “We thank President BAT for amply rewarding our victorious Falcons and D’Tigress. But we find it strange that the President has repeatedly shown his disregard for the Nigerian sovereign currency by announcing the awards in US Dollars.
“Mr. President sir, NOA says, Stop the Naira Abuse,” Abdullahi said.