Olusegun Olanrewaju
Transparency group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “disclose details of the measures your government is taking to immediately and effectively obey the Supreme Court decision extending the validity of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, and directing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue to receive the notes from Nigerians.”

The group urged the president “to publicly instruct the CBN to immediately and effectively implement the Supreme Court decision ordering an end to the cash withdrawal limits imposed by banks because such restrictions violate citizens’ right to freely use their property.”

It also urged Buhari “to disclose the measures that your government is taking to direct the CBN to immediately re-circulate the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, as ordered by the Supreme Court.”

In the letter dated 4 March 2023 and signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “There is an overriding public interest in disclosing the details of the measures your government and the CBN are taking to effectively and satisfactorily obey the Supreme Court decision.”

According to SERAP, “Disclosing the measures that your government and the CBN are taking to implement the Supreme Court decision would also enable Nigerians to monitor and scrutinise the level of compliance with the decision.”

SERAP also said, “The public should not be kept in the dark on what your government and the CBN are doing to implement the decision. Widely publishing the implementation measures would also improve accountability of state officials and public confidence in the rule of law and Nigeria’s democracy.”

The Supreme Court last week extended the validity of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 Naira notes till 31st December, stating that the CBN must continue to receive the notes from Nigerians. The court held that the president’s directive on the redesign of the new notes without due consultation is invalid.

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The letter read in part: “We would be grateful if the requested information and recommended measures are implemented within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our requests.”

“The implementation by your government of the CBN policy on the redesign of the country’s currency has contributed to violations of citizens’ rights.”

SERAP said it is concerned about the persistent disobedience of court orders by the Buhari administration, “and the apparent lack of respect for constitutional and international rule of law obligations.”