By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to announce steps his administration was taking to obey the recent Supreme Court order on the Naira redesign.
Last week, the Supreme Court extended the validity of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes till December 31, stating that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) must continue to receive the notes from Nigerians. The court held that the President’s directive on the redesign of the new notes without due consultation is invalid.
Business Post had reported that Justice John Inyang Okoro, on March 3, allowed for 16 states led by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara to void and set aside the policy on the ground that it is inflicting hardships on innocent Nigerians.
SERAP, in a statement on Sunday by its deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, urged Mr Buhari to “disclose details of the measures your government is taking to immediately and effectively obey the Supreme Court decision extending the validity of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, and directing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue to receive the notes from Nigerians.”
The rights group also wants the President “to publicly instruct the CBN to immediately and effectively implement the Supreme Court decision ordering an end to the cash withdrawal limits imposed by banks because such restrictions violate citizens’ right to freely use their property.”
“There is an overriding public interest in disclosing the details of the measures your government and the CBN are taking to effectively and satisfactorily obey the Supreme Court decision,” the statement read.
“Disclosing the measures that your government and the CBN are taking to implement the Supreme Court decision would also enable Nigerians to monitor and scrutinize the level of compliance with the decision.
“The public should not be kept in the dark on what your government and the CBN are doing to implement the decision. Widely publishing the implementation measures would also improve accountability of state officials and public confidence in the rule of law and Nigeria’s democracy,” it added.
