Much Ado About 'Party Money'

With the scarcity of redesigned naira notes biting really hard, coupled with the tough stance taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to jail anyone caught defacing the notes or spraying them at parties, Nigerians, Lagosians in particular, have devised an ingenious means of continuing with the agelong spraying culture without abusing the naira at parties.

The latest innovation, referred to as 'party money', are money vouchers produced by event planners. Guests at the party buy the amount they desire to spray the host or hostess and transfer the equivalent in naira to the account of the agents, who are usually the event planners who print and sell these 'party money' with the images of the celebrant or event host. The common denomination is N1000 and N500 notes. The 'party money' is in no way the real money. It is the event currency or party prop.

While the naira policy has given event planners another reason to be creative, it is obvious, more still needs to be done to sensitise partygoers on how it works. A case in point being that of controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola, aka Portable, who was sprayed with money vouchers at a recent event he performed in Ogun State. The cantankerous singer had made a video cursing out those who sprayed him with the money vouchers which he referred to as fake naira notes. Unknown to him, he was supposed to have approached the show/event planner or host to redeem the vouchers.

Also, because some of these money vouchers are printed like real naira notes without the image of the celebrant, awareness has to be done on how to detect counterfeit and real money, so people don't start faking the naira notes. Counterfeiting is an offence as only the CBN has the authority to issue a legal tender. In this regard, a lot of fine tuning still needs to be done with these so called 'party money' or money vouchers to avoid going against the law. Recall that on February 3rd, Nollywood actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, popularly known as Simisola Gold, was arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for spraying and stepping on the new Naira notes at a party. She was later granted bail to the tune of N5m.

Medical doctor turned politician, Olorunnimbe Adeleke Mamora, recently clocked 70 and to mark the day, he decided to roll out the drums in celebration. On the auspicious day, he held a thanksgiving service at the Christ Baptist Church, Gbagada, Lagos. Mamora, who is currently the Minister of Science and Technology, launched his autobiography where he detailed his sojourn on earth in the last seven decades. The book is simply titled, 'Olorunnimbe'. He also launched the Mamora Education and Leadership Foundation (MEL). Some of those present at the party, which took place in Lagos, were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss

Mustapha; a former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi; former governors of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, Gbenga Daniel; Minister of Transport, Mu’azu Sambo; Minister of State for Health, Ekumankama Nkama; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat; Erelu Abiola Dosunmu; Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola. The chairman of the occasion was former President Olusegun Obasanjo. A former senator, Mamora previously served as Minister of State for Health. In 2018, he turned down President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment as the chairman of the Abuja Investment and Infrastructure Centre because, according to him, the position was beneath him.

Canadian University Honours Late Pius Adesanmi

Carleton University, Canada has unveiled a resource centre in honour of late scholar and writer, Prof Pius Adesanmi. The late Adesanmi joined Carleton University in 2006 and was until his death Director of the Institute for African Studies.

In a bid to keep his memory alive, the university opened a new Institute of African Studies lounge and the Pius Adesanmi African Studies Resource Centre on the 17th Floor of Dunton Tower, Canada. The unveiling ceremony was chaired by the University's President and Vice-Chancellor Designate, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon. He was joined by the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences, Dr. Pauline Rankin, members of Africa’s diplomatic corps to Canada etc. The IAS lounge is designed as a hub for students, visiting researchers and community members for research and networking at the university.

Adesanmi, who lived from February 27, 1972 to March 10 2019, was the author of ‘Naija No Dey Carry Last’, a 2015 collection of satirical essays. He died on March 10, 2019, when an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, Flight 302 crashed shortly after take-off. The Nairobi-bound flight nosedived and crashed just a few minutes after takeoff from the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.