Former Chairman of the Nigeria Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof. Chidi Odinkalu on Thursday tore oppositions to President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on the new currency regime contained in his nationwide speech on Thursday to shreds.
He likened the suit filed by three governors of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara to treason, adding that President Buhari was right in fighting against the erosion of his power over the nation’s national currency.
Odinkalu who spoke, Thursday evening, on a programme on Channels Television via Zoom from London, said it was wrong for the governors to be giving counter directives on the issue of national currency as it could lead to the erosion of the sovereignty which lies in the office of the President, Sunrise report.
He wondered why the legal advisers of the governors failed to join the Central Bank of Nigeria in the suit but sued the Federal Government of Nigeria, adding that if they had done the former, which they ought to have done, the matter would have been struck out as it ought to have originated from the Federal high Court.
He said the governors should not abuse the priviledges of their office and stampede the Supreme Court to interfering in a matter which ought not to come before it as issues relating to national currencies and its guarantees are issues that can not be legislated upon.
He said President Buhari was unequivocal in declaring that the Naira change policy was aimed at curbing vote buying, accusing the governors of having starched money which they could have used to buy people votes during the forthcoming general elections on February 25.
He said it is sad that governors who do not have any history of obeying any court orders are structing the streets as defenders of the rights of the court and mounting pressures on the president as if they have any fidelity to the rule of law and sanctity of court order.\
He wondered what right a governor who was never known to have obeyed any court judgement, but rather celebrated when he sacked a sitting judge from his house, or the other who was seen with sack of foreign currency which he was distributing during the last election to be demanding for justice and accusing the President of contempt of court.
He wondered why the governors and their supporters including lawyers would seek to confuse matters, adding that since the CBN was not sued or joined in the suit, it can still go on with its plans to regulate the sanctity of the nation’s currency.
Odinkalu said it is worrisome how the Supreme Court allowed itself to be dragged in muddy waters of politics by politicians who never meant well, adding that if the present pains is the price to pay for the sanctity of the ballot in the election which lies ahead of Nigerians the peole would be willing to pay the price.
He challenges any of the politicians that is presently challenging the naira swap to sue him if it was not true that they were bitter that they had been caught in their own web by a President who wanted to reduce the influence of money in the politics.
Odinkalu said there is no point fighting for the reinstatement of Naira notes which legitimacy has been withdrawn by the CB which was vested with the powers to guaranty their entities as legal tender.
He urged Nigerians to move on and not allow politicians whose intent are not genuine to run riots and heat up the country unnecessarily.