Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has sharply criticised the Federal Government over the failure to pay match allowances owed to members of Nigeria’s senior national football team, the Super Eagles, describing the situation as a national embarrassment that undermines the country’s image.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Wednesday, Obi lamented what he called Nigeria’s inability to go a single day without troubling news, even at a time when the Super Eagles have been lifting national morale through their performances on the international stage.
“When will this embarrassment end?” Obi asked. “Can we get through a day without troubling news in this country?”
He contrasted the players’ unpaid allowances with what he described as the government’s readiness to write off trillions of naira in debts for public agencies and political allies, while also expending resources on “grandiose, self-serving projects.”
“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,” he said.
Obi described it as unacceptable that a country capable of forgiving massive debts and squandering public funds could struggle to meet its basic obligations to athletes representing Nigeria on the global stage.
“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.
He warned that the situation projects Nigeria in a poor international light and creates unnecessary distractions for the team ahead of crucial fixtures.
“Nigeria deserves a better international image than this ongoing failure to honour previously agreed-upon allowances before the tournament,” Obi said. “The Super Eagles do not deserve this embarrassment or the avoidable distractions ahead of a crucial quarter-final match.”
The former Anambra State governor urged the authorities to act responsibly and fulfil their commitments, stressing that respect for agreements is a basic requirement of good governance.
“Nigeria must learn to fulfil its obligations,” Obi concluded.
