The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council has stated that the infamous Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, would be remembered as a villain who inflicted hardship and pains on Nigerians.
The APC PCC Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, stated this, adding that Emefiele would be ending as “the fall guy of the illegal currency swap in our nation’s history.”
Reacting to the CBN’s bow to pressure to obey the Supreme Court order on the extension of the validity of old N500 and N1,000 notes after 10 days, Onanuga on Monday on his official Twitter page said, “Godwin Emefiele of CBN ends as the fall guy of the ill-conceived, illegal currency swap in our nation’s history. He will be remembered as a sadistic, wicked boss of the bank who inflicted unprecedented hardship on our people, causing anger, pain, and deaths.”
Godwin Emefiele of CBN ends as the fall-guy of the ill-conceived, illegal currency swap in our nation's history. He will be remembered as a sadistic, wicked boss of the bank who inflicted unprecedented hardship on our people, causing anger, pains, deaths. pic.twitter.com/9KwiuN0d74
— Bayo onanuga (@aonanuga1956) March 14, 2023
SaharaReporters on Monday reported that CBN in a statement by its Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Isa AbdulMumin said the old N200, N500, N1000 bank notes remain legal tender till December 31, 2023 as stipulated by the Supreme Court.
Recall that the apex court had on March 3 ordered that old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain valid till December 31, 2023.
The order came after 16 states of the Federation instituted a suit to challenge the legality or otherwise of the introduction of the policy.
The CBN said, “In compliance with the established tradition of obedience to court orders and sustenance of the Rule of Law Principle that characterised the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, and by extension, the operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as a regulator, Deposit Money Banks operating in Nigeria have been directed to comply with the Supreme Court ruling of March 3, 2023.
“Accordingly, the CBN met with the Bankers’ Committee and has directed that the old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes remain legal tender alongside the redesigned banknotes till December 31, 2023.
“Consequently, all concerned are directed to conform accordingly.”
The 16 states led by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara had prayed the apex court to void and set aside the policy on the ground that it is inflicting hardships on innocent Nigerians.
The court subsequently ruled that the President’s disobedience of its February 8 order is a sign of dictatorship, adding that Buhari breached the Constitution of the Federation in the way he issued directives for the re-designing of the Naira by the CBN.
