Yemi Obafemi
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticized the federal government’s generous cash awards to Nigeria’s Super Falcons following their historic victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
At a presidential reception held in their honour, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on each player and member of the technical crew.
Additionally, the president approved a cash reward of the naira equivalent of $100,000 for each of the 24 players, and $50,000 for each member of the technical crew.
In a further show of appreciation, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, announced a donation of ₦10 million to each player and technical crew member, on behalf of the 36 state governors.
However, reacting in a post on his X handle, Sowore questioned the fairness of the reward system in Nigeria. In a post titled “Life is brutally unfair to Nigeria Police Force @policeng officers!”, he compared the treatment of the Super Falcons to that of police officers who dedicate decades of their lives to national service.
According to him: “Super Falcons won WAFCON, trained for one year, played for one month, and were rewarded with $100,000 (₦150 million) each and houses!
Police officers protected them for decades, worked 35 years, and retired with $1,500 (₦2 million) as gratuity, no houses, no medicals, and a little pension!”
“The President or the Governor who handed the awards? $1 billion in gratuity, lifetime pension, homes everywhere, full medicals!”
