Friday, September 30, 2005

CAN youths sue govt over Arabic words on currency
From Mike Osunde, Benin

THE youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has sued the Federal Government over the inscription of Arabic letters on the country's currency.

advertisement

The group wants the government to withdraw from circulation, all currency notes bearing the Arabic language, signs or inscription and to replace them with a language that is official and indigenous to Nigeria.

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, by its national president, Dr. Niwo Oluwatade and secretary Victor Odabor, the group seeks to restrain the government from further issuance of the currency with Arabic language.

The suit, filed by their lawyer, Ranti Ajeleti, gives reasons for the group's action as:

• that the provision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, Cap 47 Section 19(b), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 does not allow on the currency notes the inscription of Arabic language which is not officially recognised by the Nigerian constitution and not indigenous to Nigeria; and

• that the CBN, in issuing such currency notes with the Arabic inscription, sign and language, was violating the provisions of Section 10 and 56 of the Constitution.

Therefore, the plaintiffs asked the court to declare all currency notes issued by the CBN without due regard to the provisions of the constitution, as wrongful, illegal or unlawful, ultra vires, null and void.

In a 33-page affidavit to back the suit, sworn to by Odabor, the plaintiff contend that the national currency represents the sovereignty of the country.

According to them, no Arabic-speaking country has ever written any Nigerian languge on her currency.

The plaintiffs note that while all Arabic-speaking countries have Islam as their state religion, Nigeria has no state religion by virtue of the provision of Section 55 of the 1999 Constitution.

Noting that all Nigerian currencies carry Arabic inscriptions which were not readable and meaningful to Nigerian Christians, including himself, Odabor adds that any time he travels abroad, he faces embarrassing questions on whether he is an Arab or Moslem from Nigeria.

He says that each time he explains he is Christian, foreigners refer to the Arabic language on the national currency.

He warns that if the Arabic inscription appears on the yet to be issued N1,000 currency notes, it would further portray all Christians and Nigerians as coming from an Arabic country.

According to Odabor, if the CBN continues to inscribe Arabic wordings on the Naira, Christian beliefs and symbols, such as "Jesus Reigns" and the "High Cross" should also be inscribed on the Nigerian currency.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Meanwhile, the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. Peter Akinola has said the association is yet to take a final decision on the census.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, he said CAN would meet on the inauguration of the Ecumenical Centre on October 2, to "look at what we have done" concerning the exercise.

Akinola said CAN had written several letters to President Olusegun Obasanjo on the inclusion of ethnicity and religion among questions to be canvassed during the census.

On the postponement of the exercise from November to March next year, Akinola said he was not in the country when the decision was taken, adding that CAN did not know why it was shifted.

He, however, said it was a good thing that the date for the exercise was shifted as "it will give us time to do what we think should be done".