New Naira: Use alternative payment methods, CBN tells Nigerians

From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

The Central Bank of Nigeria has implored Nigerians to make use of the eNaira and Internet banking as alternatives to the current naira scarcity.

The Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Mr. Osita Nwanusobi, who was represented by the Director, Capacity Development of CBN, Mohammed Abbah, disclosed this while speaking at the recently held

44th Kaduna International Trade Fair.

Osita disclosed that the payment system infrastructure could handle an increasing number of transaction volumes across all payment channels.

He said the new naira policy was not aimed at any individual as being insinuated in the public domain.

According to him, “The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has always said that the policy is not targeted at anyone or any group of persons, rather, it derived from the Bank’s in-house analysis to strengthen our macroeconomic fundamentals and better our socioeconomic conditions.”

Speaking on the theme, “Promoting Value Addition for Economic Growth and Development”, he explained that promotion of value plays an important role to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

He further said the apex bank was projected to boost financial inclusion through reduction of the number of the unbanked population and to support the efforts of the security agencies in combating banditry and ransom-taking in Nigeria through this programme.

He added that the Produce, Add Value and Export option of the apex bank was similar to the export-led industrialisation policy South-East Asia, which elevated the economic fortunes of the Asian Tigers: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Supreme Court judgements: APC group calls for resignation of CJN, Ariwoola

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Apro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group on the aiges of Progressive Minds Forum (PMF), on Friday, called for the resignation, suspension or sack of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola, over alleged compromised judgements that recently emanated from the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The group lamented that the award of Senatorial tickets to Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Senator Godswill Akpabio by the apex court was a great embarrassment to Nigeria because they did not partake in the primary election of the All Progressives Congress won by the original holders of the tickets.

The Forum also insisted that Supreme Court’s ruling to extend the use of old Naira notes was not done in the interest of Nigerians but to please and aid certain political forces from the South- west who have been clamouring for the extension because the CJN is from the South-west.

In a statement signed by the Forum’s national coordinator, Barrister Preye Johnson, said that the comportment of the CJN since assumption of office does not befit a man who occupies such an exalted position and saddled with the responsibility of determining the destiny of litigants that come before the Supreme Court.

The statement said: “The Supreme Court is the last hope of the common man, but under Justice Ariwoola, justice is now for the highest bidder.

“The whole world would want to know how failed presidential aspirants like Akpabio and Lawan were awarded Senatorial tickets by the Supreme Court when they never participated in the primary election for those positions in their Senatorial Districts.

“This is a man who recently attended a state dinner in Port Harcourt and apparently after much champagne that are common in such high level political gatherings, made political statements that were unbecoming of his position as the number one jurist in the country.

“Besides only the CJN and Supreme Court Justices can tell if the recent ruling unbanning the use of old Naira notes was done in the overall interest of Nigerians or to enable the APC access enough cash to buy votes in the forthcoming elections.

“Even the Minister or Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has kicked against the judgement and filed an appeal against it.

“The position of the AGF shows that the ruling lacks merit as it was apparently motivated by partisan motives and tribal sentiments which may likely plunge Nigeria into crisis if not immediately curbed.

“Needless to say that such highly compromised and spurious judgements now emanating from the apex court, under Justice Ariwoola, represent a huge embarrassment to Nigeria both at home and abroad.

“They have also cast a pall of doubt over judgements on disputes that may emanate from the forthcoming general elections.

“Therefore, the need for Justice Ariwoola to either resign his position or be sacked in order to checkmate the gross danger the Supreme Court now poses to democracy and rule of law in Nigeria.

“It is clear that the Supreme Court under Justice Ariwoola’s watch lacks integrity therefore he has no basis to continue as CJN especially in view of the forthcoming general election.

The CJN must be seen to be above board and also must be blind to all parties in the dispensation of justice in order to display extreme neutrality for justice and fairness. However, this is not what we are seeing presently.