The United States Government has returned $954,000 stolen by the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to the state government through the Federal Government. US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard announced the development at a press briefing on Thursday afternoon in Abuja. She said the official salary of the former governor during his tenure as a public servant from 1999 to his impeachment in 2005 did not match the said amount. “However, during that time, he accumulated millions of dollars through abuse of office, money laundering,” she said. Alamieyeseigha died in October 2015 at the age of 62. President Muhammadu Buhari has immediately directed that the said sum be utilised in developing the healthcare of Bayelsa.

  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, says he has met with 15 bank executives and directed them to make the old 200 naira notes available from Thursday (today). He made this known after attending a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the House of Representatives Special Ad Hoc Committee on Naira Redesign Policy, Cashless Policy, and Currency Swap on Thursday. In a chat with State House Correspondents, Emefiele who described himself as a servant appealed to Nigerians to allow the policy to work because he believes it will bring advancement to the nation’s economy when the challenge of illicit financial flows and insecurity is resolved.   The CBN Governor stated that the hardship and temporary pains due to the policy are regrettable, but assured that the apex bank will continue to work to ease the sufferings of Nigerians owing to the cash crunch. Buhari had earlier in a nationwide broadcast, directed the CBN to release old N200 notes into circulation to co-exist with new N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes for 60 days. He, however, said old N500 and N1,000 banknotes are no longer legal tender in Nigeria. The President also apologised to Nigerians over the difficulty experienced in the implementation of the naira redesign policy.

  The Jigawa State Government has vowed to enforce the Supreme Court order restraining the Federal government from banning the old naira notes as legal tender. This was contained in a public notice made available to newsmen by the Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties Auwal Sankara. According to the public notice, commercial banks, corporate organizations, ministries, agencies, and traders must accept the old notes or face sanctions from the state government. “It has come to its notice some individuals and corporate bodies are rejecting the now-old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes. The Jigawa State Government is concerned about the conduct of such individuals,” it read. The statement added “Jigawa State Government respects the rights of its people and those rejecting the now-old currencies are enjoined to desist from disobeying the law and causing hardships to the people of Jigawa State. “Jigawa State Government will not hesitate to use section 287(1) of the Constitution (as amended) and other extant laws to enforce the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.” The Supreme Court of Nigeria earlier issued an order “restraining the Federal Government of Nigeria, either by itself or acting through the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN and/or commercial banks, ministries, parastatals, organizations or through any person or persons (natural and artificial) howsoever, from suspending or determining or ending on the 10th of February, 2023 the time frame within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of the notice”.

  The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reintroduce the old N200 note into circulation as a step in the right direction. However, the Speaker said the President’s directive falls short of the Supreme Court order that the old currencies remain legal tender pending the adjudication of a pending suit brought by state governments on the legality of the policy and its implementation. In a statement made available to Channels Television on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said it is not to the benefit of our country for the Federal Government to act in ways that suggest a wanton disregard for the rule of law. According to him, it will be better for the government to strictly adhere to the court’s order in this matter pending the adjudication of the substantive suit. The Speaker urged Nigerians to bear this moment with equanimity, adding that “for the sake of our country, we must work together to resist actions that escalate tensions and endanger our democracy at this crucial moment of national awakening and rebirth.”

  Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) says the suffering of the Nigerian people is worsening over the currency crunch, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari’s Thursday broadcast gave no hope.   The Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond (ASCAB) said this in a statement he signed on Thursday. According to him, Buhari’s decision to allow only the N200 note in circulation and keep the old N500 and N1000 notes out of circulation is not enough to end the crisis, saying that there are not enough old 200 naira notes to replace all the old N1,000 and N500 notes. Noting that the “crisis” was created by the government, Falana said it is only the government that can end it. He said that unless firm action is taken, “this crisis will get worse in the days to come.” READ ALSO: Full Text Of Buhari’s National Broadcast On Naira Scarcity   The Senior Advocate also said that the decision of the President to exclude old N500 and N1000 notes from the legal tender is of no legal effect as it constitutes a contravention of section 287(1) of the Constitution. He urged the Federal Government to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court which ordered that the old notes remain legal tender without any further delay. See the full statement below: FG MUST END THE SUFFERING OF NIGERIANS   The suffering of the Nigerian people is getting worse by the day. President Buhari in his message to the nation gave no hope that this suffering will end anytime soon. We need action now to reverse the fuel price increases and to make money available again. Our suffering cannot continue – we cannot live like this. After 13 days (rather than seven) President Buhari eventually announced a decision this morning. But it is not enough to end the crisis. There are not enough old 200 naira notes to replace all the old N1,000 and N500 notes. In addition, the new deadline of 10th of April is too close. If the government was serious, the crisis could be ended in a few days. All the old currency notes could be made legal tender until the end of the year. In addition, all the old currency could be changed at the banks as well as at the CBN until the end of next year. This would give confidence back in the markets and the old currency would again be accepted. The problem is that the corrupt elite think that increased suffering and deaths of the common people is a price worth paying if they defeat their opponents. Hungry people can no longer buy food and so they are in more danger of dying from common diseases. People cannot afford to travel to hospital. If they get there they cannot afford tests. If they take the tests they cannot afford the medicine. This crisis was created by the government. It is only the government that can end the crisis. The government could end this crisis in a matter of days. The CBN could issue old currency notes to the banks to issue to the public in a matter of days. That is all that is needed to end the crisis. The untold crisis across the country, the misery, suffering and deaths are a result of a fight between different clans of the corrupt elite. The common people are suffering as a result of disputes over who will loot for the next four years or more.   Unless firm action is taken, this crisis will get worse in the days to come. The suffering and anger is likely to make violence around the election worse. Then we still have to suffer the Buhari Government for at least another three months. Any alternative to this will only make the situation worse. PRESIDENT BUHARI LACKS POWER TO OVERRULE SUPREME COURT On February 8, 2023, the Supreme Court ordered the Federal Government, Central Bank and all commercial banks to allow the old Naira notes to remain legal tender in Nigeria. The order became necessary as sufficient currency notes have not been printed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The order was reiterated yesterday as the Supreme Court enjoined the lawyers of the Federal Government to advise their clients to ensure compliance with the court order. In a national address delivered this morning, President Muhammadu Buhari announced that he had given “approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 when the old N200 notes ceases to be legal tender.” Thus, the President has ruled out old N500 and N1000 notes as legal tender in Nigeria contrary to the clear and unambiguous order of the Supreme Court. With respect, the decision of the President to exclude old N500 and N1000 notes from the legal tender of Nigeria is of no legal effect as it constitutes a contravention of section 287(1) of the Constitution which provides that “the decisions of the Supreme court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme court.” In 1983, a public officer was suspended from office. He approached the Lagos State High Court for legal redress. While the case was pending, the then military dictator, Major General Muhammadu Buhari dismissed the officer “in the public interest” under the Public Officers (Special Provisions) Decree No 17 of 1984. In setting aside the purported dismissal, the Supreme Court berated the military junta in the case of Garba vs. Federal Civil Service Commission (1998) 1 NWLR (PT 71) 449 at 453 – 454. Speaking for the apex court, Justice Kayode Eso said inter alia: What remains now is an examination of the act of the Respondents in dismissing the Appellant from office

  The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday night, alleged that the scarcity of naira notes was a part of the plots to disrupt the forthcoming elections in order to ensure the emergence of an interim government. In a state broadcast on Thursday, El-Rufai said the current cash scarcity was not unconnected with the efforts to ensure that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, loses the election. He said, “It is important for the people of Kaduna State, and indeed Nigeria, to know that contrary to the public pronouncements and apparent good intentions, this policy was conceived and sold to the President by officials who completely lost out in the Gubernatorial and Presidential Primaries of the APC in June 2022. “Once Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged as the candidate in June 2022, and subsequently did not pick one of them as his running mate, this currency redesign policy was conceived to ensure that the APC presidential candidate is deprived of what they alleged is a humongous war chest.” “They also sought to achieve any one or more of following objectives: Create a nationwide shortage of cash so that citizens are incited to vote against APC candidates across the board resulting in massive losses for the party in all the elections. “Ensure that the cash crunch is so serious, along with the contrived and enduring fuel shortage existing since September 2022, that the 2023 Elections do not hold at all, leading to an Interim National Government to be led by a retired Army General,” he claimed. The governor also said the order by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on the deadline for old notes “is a disobedience to the Supreme Court Order.” The governor asked residents of the state to continue using the old naira notes. His directive is coming after Buhari said in his national broadcast earlier in the day that both the N1,000 and N500 old naira notes are no longer legal tender. However, in his broadcast to the people of Kaduna State, El-rufai urged them to stand up strongly for democracy, peace and national unity. “It is also quite revealing that the Federal Government and its agencies not only disobeyed the February 8 ruling by continuing to say the February 10 deadline stands. It is shocking to see the blatant violation of the subsisting and continuing order of the Supreme Court that all the old and new notes should continue to be legal tender until it gives judgment in the case filed by the Kaduna State Government along with several others.” El-Rufai said, “The address by the President earlier this morning limiting the legal tender status of old notes to only N200 amounts to total disregard and disobedience of the ruling of February 8 which was extended further yesterday by the Supreme Court. The misguided action of the Attorney-General to mislead the President into engaging in this public violation of the order of the highest court of the land shows how desperate the policy architects are to cause national chaos, by showing open contempt for the judiciary.”

  Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has said she begged the wife of her husband’s running mate, Hajia Nana Shettima, for N2 million on Wednesday. Oluremi revealed this to tackle the belief of many who thought the former Lagos governor and his family was rich and that money made them popular. Tinubu’s wife said this on Thursday, during a town hall meeting with People Living With Disabilities in Abuja.   “When they say he has the money of the world, I just wonder. Mrs Shettima knows that I begged her just to give me N2m yesterday,” she said. She also disclosed that her husband’s benevolence was the reason behind his popularity and not money. Oluremi said, “Asiwaju’s secret is not about money, contrary to what people think, he is a very compassionate man and very generous. There is nothing he can’t give.” “I remember after he finished as governor, we used to have this staff at home; if you needed anything, he would say go and meet so and so―that is who he is. “The people you see in rallies are not after money. They believe someone can give them hope in these trying times.”