Muslim Rights Concern MURIC has hailed the dismissal of a suit challenging the use of Arabic inscriptions on Naira notes by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Lagos lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo filed the suit against the CBN in January 2020.
The lawyer had argued among othersthat Arabic is not one of the four official languages of Nigeria namely English, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo.
He also said Arabic is not indigenous to Nigeria and as such, its presence on the currency offends certain provisions of the Constitution.
However, the CBN in its preliminary objection said Omirhobo had no locus standi to file the matter. The bank also filed a defence.
Aside the CBN, the lawyer also joined the Incorporated Trustees of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), its Founder, Ishaq Akintola; and a Kebbi-based legal practitioner, Umar Kalgo as defendants.
While dismissing the suit on Tuesday,
Justice Yellin Bogoro affirmed 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 notes.
The Court also said an intention of bad faith must be established before an action can be brought to challenge the act or omission of the Federal Government or the CBN.
But the Judge noted that Malcom Omirhobo, the lawyer who filed the suit challenging the Arabic inscriptions on Naira notes failed to establish that the CBN’s powers were exercised in bad faith.
However, the Court dismissed CBN’s preliminary objection and held that Omirhobo had the locus standi to institute the action as a taxpayer.
The court also held that public interest actions must be encouraged.
Excited by the outcome of the case, MURIC described the judgement as far-reaching, profound, didactic and monumental.
“This is a sweet victory. Once again the Nigerian judiciary has demonstrated courage, intellectual excellence and jurisprudential exactitude. This judgement is far-reaching, profound, didactic and monumental.
“Omirhobo’s approach is not only naïve, it is pedestrian and kindergarten. This suit against Arabic on naira manifests acute desertification of religious tolerance… We have been vindicated.”
Source: PM News
