Trouble is beginning to surface for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
He is being accused of flouting a ruling of the Supreme Court on the ban of old Naira notes.
A suit seeking the imprisonment of the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, has been filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
The suit filed by Olalekan Popoola, is seeking an order of the court committing Emefiele to prison for disobeying the interim order and judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
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In a suit, the governors of Kaduna, Kogi and Kano states filed an appeal against the Attorney General of the federation and two others on the Naira redesign policy.
The ruling of the suit was not immediately adhered to by the Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor.
The Case Against Emefiele
Now, Popoola, is praying the court to declare that the subsequent or any compliance by the Defendant with the interim orders and judgment of the Supreme Court on the appeal in question does not operate to set him free from the earlier disobedience of the interim orders and judgment of the apex court at the time.
“The Defendant, while holding office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on 26th October, 2022 issued a directive introducing new ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1,000 bank notes.
“Based on the policy/directives, the termination date of use of the old ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1000 bank notes was set to be the 31st day of January 2023.
“Some aggrieved States approached the Supreme Court in its original jurisdiction, whereupon the Supreme Court made an interim order directing that the old ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1,000 will continue to be legal tender in Nigeria.
“Also, on 8th February 2023, the Supreme Court also made an interim order and also on 3rd March, 2023, the Supreme Court delivered its Judgment in Appeal No: SC/CV/162/2023 between Attorney General of Kaduna State & 9 Ors v. Attorney General of the Federation & 2 Ors, that the old ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1,000 will continue to be a legal tender in Nigeria.
“The Defendant, as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria is the party saddled with the responsibility of complying with the orders of the Supreme Court by ensuring, amongst other things, that the “old version of 200, 500 and 1,000 Naira notes shall continue to be legal tender alongside with the new or redesigned version until 31 December 2023,” the Plaintiff wrote.
Deliberate Disobedience
He added that “the Defendant is directly affected by the Orders of the Supreme Court and has the duty to ensure the “reception of old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes and the swapping of same with new naira notes shall continue till 31st December 2023.
“The Defendant has a duty and legal obligation to obey the Orders of the Supreme Court.
“Defendant deliberately disobeyed the Orders of the Supreme Court.
“The Defendant did not comply with the interim orders of the Supreme Court made on 8th February, 2023 or the Judgment of the Supreme Court made on 3rd March 2023, the Plaintiff stated.
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The action of the Defendant, Plaintiff said, “is illegal and amounted to disobedience to Orders of the Court”
He states that the Governor of the CBN is liable to be committed to prison.
Plaintiff, therefore, submitted that the Court has the jurisdiction to enforce the orders/Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by committing the Defendant to prison.
“There is a need to enforce the Orders/Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by committing the Defendant to prison,” he claimed.
