‘When Will This Embarrassment End?’ Peter Obi Laments Non-payment Of Super Eagles Allowances

Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has criticised the continued non-payment of match allowances owed to players of Nigeria’s senior national football team, the Super Eagles, describing the situation as a national embarrassment.

The former Anambra State Governor said the failure to honour agreed bonuses was damaging Nigeria’s image and demoralising players who have continued to give the country reasons to celebrate through their performances on the pitch.

Naija News reports that Peter Obi made his position known in a post on his verified 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday, January 7.

Expressing frustration, Obi wondered why Nigeria continued to generate negative headlines even at moments when citizens needed unity and positive distractions.

“When will this embarrassment end?

“Can we get through a day without troubling news in this country? At a time when Nigerians need joy and unity, something the national football team, the Super Eagles, has been providing by winning matches and lifting our spirits worldwide, these same players are being denied their basic match allowances,” Obi wrote.

According to him, the Super Eagles have remained a major source of national pride at home and in the diaspora, especially through their recent victories, but are now being subjected to avoidable distractions due to administrative failures.

He noted that issues surrounding unpaid bonuses were unnecessary and could affect players’ morale ahead of crucial fixtures.

“The Super Eagles do not deserve this embarrassment or the avoidable distractions ahead of a crucial quarter-final match,” he added.

Obi also took a swipe at what he described as misplaced priorities in governance, contrasting the unpaid allowances with what he said were large sums of money written off or wasted by government institutions.

“A country that writes off trillions in debts for government agencies and political allies, and squanders money on grandiose, self-serving projects, now struggles to pay the basic match bonuses owed to our players,” he stated.

The former presidential candidate stressed that Nigeria must do better in keeping its commitments, especially to citizens representing the country on international platforms.

“Nigeria deserves a better international image than this ongoing failure to honor previously agreed-upon allowances before the tournament. Nigeria must learn to fulfill its obligations,” Obi concluded.