The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday dismissed a suit challenging the use of Arabic inscriptions on Naira notes.
Justices Yellin Bogoro held that Section 53 (1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) empowers the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to print, design and issue the currency and compels the need to establish bad faith before an action can be brought to challenge the act or omission of the Federal Government or the apex court.
The court also held that the suit brought by a Lagos-based lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo, challenging the Arabic inscriptions on Naira notes failed to establish that the CBN’s powers were exercised in bad faith.
Omirhobo had filed the suit against the CBN in Jan. 2020 contending amongst other things that Arabic is not one of the four official languages of Nigeria namely English, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. He contended that Arabic is not indigenous to Nigeria and to have it on our country’s currency offends certain provisions of the Constitution.
The CBN, in its response, had filed a preliminary objection insisting that Omirhobo had no locus standi to file the matter. The bank also filed a defence.
Three other interested persons joined the suits as defendants, the Incorporated Trustees of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), its Founder, Ishaq Akintola; and a Kebbi-based legal practitioner, Umar Kalgo.
After listening to all the defendants in May 2024, the court fixed its judgement for yesterday.
The court, however, held that Omirhobo failed to prove that the CBN acted Mala Fide, in bad faith and accordingly dismissed the suit.
In his reaction to the judgment, Omirhobo said he had applied for a Certified True Copy of the judgement and would study the same to decide his next line of action.
Credit: channelstv.com
