The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it is
collaborating with the Nigeria Police and other law enforcement agencies to
arrest and prosecute anyone found abusing the Naira.
Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Osita
Nwanisobi, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
He, however, warned Nigerians, particularly those at social
functions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals, to desist from
disrespecting the Naira or risk being arrested by law enforcement agencies.
”The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has
again been drawn to the activities of persons, who flagrantly abuse the legal
tender by hurling wads of Naira notes in the air and stamping on the currency
at social functions.
“There have also been cases where people mishandle the
Naira, deface it, hawk the currency at parties and reject the money in some
instances. It should be stated that, contrary to the practice of these
unpatriotic persons, it is neither cultural nor moral for people to disrespect
the currency which citizens trade in.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 21(3) of the Central
Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 (As amended) stipulates that “spraying of, dancing or
matching on the Naira or any note issued by the Bank during social occasions or
otherwise howsoever shall constitute abuse and defacing of the Naira or such
note and shall be punishable under the law by fines or imprisonment or both.
“Accordingly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is
collaborating with the Nigeria Police, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS),
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to address the unpatriotic practice.
“We, therefore, warn Nigerians, particularly those at social
functions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals, to desist from
disrespecting the Naira or risk being arrested by law enforcement agencies. The
Naira is our legal tender and symbol of national pride. Let us respect it and
handle it with care,” the statement said.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com