The Supreme Court has again extended the use of the redesigned 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes.

This is the second time the Supreme Court has extended the validity of the old naira notes following a botched currency redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In October last year, the CBN began the currency swap policy that caused monumental hardship to Nigerians.

To ameliorate the difficulties, many states governments sued the federal government, urging the Supreme Court to reverse the monetary policy.

With the deadline for the affected notes nearing, the Federal government, approached the Supreme Court for another extension of the notes validity.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by John Okoro had in March ordered the CBN to continue to receive the old notes from Nigerians until 31 December, 2023.

The court had held that the directive of then President Muhammadu Buhari for the redesign of the new notes and withdrawal of the old notes without due consultation was invalid.

Emmanuel Agim, a member of the panel, who read the lead judgement, also condemned the President’s disobedience of the court’s 8 February order that the old notes should be in use.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, the Supreme Court panel led by John Okoro, ruled that the old notes remain legal tender until they are replaced with the redesigned notes.

According to Okoro, the old notes would co-exist as legal tender with the redesigned ones.

The ruling was based on a request by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who was accompanied by the acting Director, Civil Appeals, Federal Ministry of Justice, Tijani Gazali (SAN).

The court, in the ruling, reviewed its earlier order that the old notes should cease to be legal tender by the last day of December 2023.

Okoro said “the old versions of 200, 500, 1000 naira notes/currency shall continue to be legal tenders alongside the new or designed versions until the government decides to bring the circulation of the old versions to an end after its consultation with critical stakeholders and after putting all required structures in place.”

Other members of the Supreme Court panel are – Uwani Aba-Aji, Helen Ogunwumiju, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijani Abubakar and Emmanuel Agim – all agreed with the ruling.

Former President Buhari and ex-CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, had pursued the naira redesign policy in disregard for the Supreme Court order halting it.

Earlier this month, the CBN announced “its desire to extend the legal tender status deadline of the old design of N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations, ad infinitum.”

The bank also indicated in its statement announcing the plan of the government to approach the Supreme Court to vacate the subsisting order on the matter.

“Thus, all banknotes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in accordance with Section 20(5) of the CBN Act 2007, will continue to remain legal tender, ad infinitum, even beyond the initial 31 December 2023, deadline.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria is working with the relevant authorities to vacate the subsisting court ruling on the same subject,” the CBN statement had said.

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of a professor of public administration ,Tunji Olaopa, as Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

The upper legislative chamber also approved 11 others as members of the FCSC representing various states of the Federation.
This followed the presentation and adoption of a report of the Committee on Establishment and Public Service by the Chairman Sen. Oluwole Cyril (APC- Ekiti) at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.

Presenting the report, Oluwole urged the Senate to consider the request of President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of the nominees for appointment as Chairman and members of FCSC.

He said the request was in pursuance to section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constituion of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Oluwole disclosed that the committee during the secreening of the nominees received documents from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate).
He listed the documents to include resumes, police clearance reports and asset declaration documents of the nominees.

According to him, the committee deliberated on the qualifications, experience and competency of the national nominees and their suitability for the appointment.

He said the nominees were eminently qualified for the appointment, saying that there was no adverse security reports and petition against them.

He said the nominees possessed the requisite qualifications, professional experience, competence and capacity to further ensure success of the FCSC.

He therefore urged the senate to approve their nominations. The Senate, thereafter confirmed their appointments.

Those confirmed as members of FCSC include:

Dr.Dauda Ibrahim Jalo representing Adamawa ,Gombe and Taraba states; Ededet Eyoma, representing Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states; and Dr.Chambalin Nweke, representing Anambra, Ebonyi and, Enugu states.

Others are Rufus Godwin representing Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states; and Dr. Adamu Hussein representing FCT and Niger;
Aminu Nabegu representing Jigawa and Kano states; Hindatu Abdullahi, representing Kaduna and Katsina states; and Shehu Aliyu representing Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

They also include Odekunle Rukiyat representing Aduke ,Kogi and Kwara states; Sarah Sosan, representing Lagos and,Ogun; and Dr.Festus Oyebade representing Osun and Oyo.

The Ogun State government will, on Friday, December 1, distribute 5000 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to beneficiaries.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the office of the Director General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, said Governor Dapo Abiodun would present the certificates to beneficiaries, thus enhancing the value of their properties, as they can be used as collaterals, while house and landowners can also take advantage of the state’s proximity to Lagos to maximise value.

The beneficiaries are drawn from the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS) and the immediate pass administration’s Home Owners Charter (HOC).

The event will be held at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

According to the statement, beneficiaries would be mandated to present valid means of identification.

They will also be accredited by the Bureau of Lands & Survey before the commencement of the distribution.

“The present administration in the state embarked on the exercise aimed at authenticating land documents of all house owners in the state with a view to adding value to the properties and getting the owners to formalize and benefit maximally from them.

“Additional 10,000 certificates of occupancy are in the pipeline for distribution within the next one year, urging interested applicants to take advantage of the opportunity,” the statement read.