The Kano and Niger State Governments have taken the Federal Government to the Supreme Court over the controversial naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
While the Niger State Government is seeking an extension of the timeframe given by the CBN for the currency swap, the Kano State Government seeks a mandatory order for reversal of the policy.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Niger State, Justice Nasara Danmallam, in a statement in Minna on Saturday, said the case with suit number SC/CV/210/2023, was filed Friday, February 10, with the Niger State Government as the plaintiff.
The statement said that the state government was seeking for an extension of the timeframe given by the CBN for the currency swap and withdrawal from circulation of old N200, N500 and N1,000 amongst other reliefs.
The statement said the three months given by the Federal Government for the withdrawal of old currency across the country was not reasonable and in violation of section 13, 14 (2) (b), 17 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, filed at the Supreme Court, the Niger Government contended that the unavailability of the new redesigned notes had caused untold hardships and sufferings on the inhabitants of the State, especially those living in rural dwellers across the state.
The statement expressed the state government’s concern about the inconveniences the redesigned Naira policy had brought on the people, saying that government would continue everything within its constitutional limit to ameliorate their sufferings.
On its part, The PUNCH reports that the Kano State Attorney General, through his Counsel, Sunusi Musa, SAN, in suit number: SC/CS/200/2023, is asking the apex court to declare that the President Muhammadu Buhari cannot unilaterally direct the CBN to recall the now-old N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes without recourse to the Federal Executive Council and National Economic Council, respectively.
The report said the Kano government is praying for a mandatory order seeking a reversal of the Federal Government policy to recall the N200, N500 and N1,000 notes from circulation due to the policy affecting the economic well-being of over 20 million Kano citizens.
The applicant is also seeking for mandatory order, compelling the Federal Government to reverse the naira redesign policy for alleged failure to comply with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
It is also praying for mandatory seeking of the apex court to compel the Federal Government to reverse the cash swap policy for allegedly not complying with the 1999 constitution and other extant legislation.
“A Declaration that the combined reading of the provisions of the section 148(2) of 1999 constitution and Part 1, and Paragraph 19 of the Third Schedule thereof, the President cannot unilaterally without recourse to the Federal Executive Council and National Economic Council respectively give approval to the Central Bank of Nigeria for the implementation of cash withdrawal limit pursuant to the demonetization economic policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the suit read.
In the originating summon, the Kano State Government, further prayed for a declaration, that the president’s directive to the CBN for the implementation of cash withdrawal limits policy pursuant to the demonetization of Federal Republic of Nigeria without recourse to FEC and NEC respectively is unconstitutional, illegal null and void.
The applicant is also praying for a mandatory order reversing the policy of the Federal Government on the recall of the old currency notes for allegedly failure to comply with the provisions of Constitution and other extant legislation.
Recall that Wednesday this week, the Supreme Court gave an interim order to the CBN not to end the use of old naira notes on February 10, 2023 in an ex parte application by the three applicant states, including Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara.
