By Demilade Adeniyi
Nigerians have their gaze fixed on the Supreme Court as it begins hearing in the suit filed by All Progressives Governors against the Federal Government over the implementation of the new change in currency begins today.
The Suit originally filed by three governors of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara had asked for an ex-parte order forcing the Federal Government to stop the enforcement of the deadline of the CBN order which sets February 10, 2023 as deadline for the exchange of old Naira notes.
The Supreme Court granted an interim injunction shifting the deadline to February 15, when hearing would begin on the matter brought by the state governors.
The matter was however adjourned again on the date set aside for the commencement of hearing because other states opted to be joined in the suit, and the matter was again adjourned till February 22, to allow all parties interested and applying to be joined to have done so. It however directed that all the nation’s currencies remain legal tender until the adjourned date.
As at last count 10 APC governors have through their Attorneys General sued the Federal Government on the currency swap policy and they are want the Supreme Court to make pronouncement on the deadline set on the currency deadline.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a national broadcast on February 16, however validated the CBN policy and effectively declared the circulation of the old N500 and N1000 as legal tender anywhere in the country as illegal. He however directed the re-circulation of the old N200 notes until April 10, alongside the new notes of N200, N500 and N1000.
Today, millions of Nigerians would expect the apex court to assert its authority as the bastion and the last hope for the masses.
Sunrise reports that news filtering in as at Tuesday was that the Federal Government and the 10 state governments are already meeting and one of the issues being discussed is how to settle the matter out of court.
The CBN’s Naira redesign policy has impoverished the masses. Many are hungry and the sick could not have access to money to buy drugs needed for their medication thereby compounding their state of health.
There has been massive protest around the country especially in the Southwest and Southsouth and some banks have even been vandalized and others torched by irate mob protesting the obnoxious policy implementation by the CBN.
Everyone who had thought reprieve has come the way of the masses when the Supreme Court granted another extension of the deadline till February 22, were disappointed when the President’s broadcast which dropped the curtain on the old N500 and N1000 notes and allowed only the circulation of the old N200 notes.
The broadcast had been heavily criticised and condemned by lawyers and many of the 21 governors of the APC. Many expressed outrage that the President could openly defy the apex court in a democracy.
Today, the case is coming up at the Supreme Court. The aggrieved governors have already filed contempt of court against the CBN’s governor, Godwin Emefiele for not obeying the apex court’s judgment.
All eyes is on the Supreme Court to redeem its image and show that it is indeed the final arbiter of the law and the hope of the masses.
It is expected today the court should make a gazing stock out of those trampling upon its supremacy and sovereignty.
Hopefully, the spark expected from the Supreme Court may put an end to their suffering in recent time and restore the dignity of the rule of law and supremacy of the court as the arbiter of justice. It may be the elixir needed to assuage them three days to the presidential election.