Disobedience to S’Court on naira policy dangerous, ACF warns Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has been cautioned by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) that the collapse of peace and order could result from his continued silence and defiance of the Supreme Court’s judgement regarding the use of the old naira notes.

As he concurred with the governors of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara states who sued the Federal Government over the policy, ACF Secretary-General Murtala Aliyu made this public.

According to Aliyu, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) current strategy raises questions regarding the respect for the civil freedoms and rights of Nigerians with regard to their ability to spend lawfully acquired money as they like.

He added that the president should respect the Constitution by following the ruling of the supreme court because he took an oath to uphold it.

“Whatever the CBN or anybody else says about the benefits of the policy, which are undoubtedly numerous, is of little consolation once the highest court in the nation has ruled that it is, or, at least, the manner in which it is implemented, in violation of the law,” he argued.

“Ten days is ample time for the administration to figure out how to abide by a court ruling, which is essential to achieving peace, order, and good governance in the nation.

“President Buhari has sworn to uphold Nigeria’s constitution. As his ardent supporters, we would be negligent if we did not caution that the benefits of the redesigned Naira can never outweigh the harm to credentials as a democrat and a stickler for the rule of law.

This is a far cry from the genuine likelihood that the crisis may turn into a catastrophic social disorder, possibly resulting in the collapse of law and order across all of Nigeria.

“We do not believe nor can we urge him to pay such a huge price on account of a policy whose immediate goals are largely unclear to Nigerians,” Aliyu continued.

Yet he bemoaned the large crowds and protracted lines that had gathered outside of bank branches and ATMs all around the nation “as people fight to receive the new currency that has remained exceedingly limited and has sparked riots and other forms of civil unrest.”

This is quite a distance from the potential for the crisis to develop into a significant societal disorder that might lead to the potential dissolution of law and order in Nigeria

“We do not believe nor can we urge him to pay such a huge price on account of a policy whose immediate goals are largely unclear to Nigerians,” Aliyu continued.

Yet he bemoaned the large crowds and protracted lines that had gathered outside of bank branches and ATMs all around the nation “as people fight to receive the new currency that has remained exceedingly limited and has sparked riots and other forms of civil unrest.”