The Central Bank has opposed a suit seeking the removal of Arabic inscriptions on naira notes. The CBN through its lawyer raised the defense before the Federal High Court that it would cost the country a whopping sum to print new naira notes devoid of Arabic inscriptions.
TheCentral Bank of Nigeria stated that the Arabic inscriptions is not a symbol of Islam but an inscription to aid those who are not learned in English but who understand Arabic, to be able to use the money.
The litigation was in response to a suit filed by the plaintiff, Barrister Malcolm Omirhobo before Honourable Justice Mohammed Liman.
In his claims against the Apex bank, Barrister Malcolm Omirhobo litigated that the Arabic inscription on naira notes contravenes section 10 and 55 of the 1999 constitution, which provides that Nigeria is a state with varying religion.
The Central Bank of Nigeria however countered that Arabic inscriptions on naira notes does not literally make Nigeria an Islamic state.
The plaintiff notwithstanding urged the court to stop the CBN from from approving, printing and issuing naira notes with Arabic inscriptions. He also argued that CBN should replace the Arabic inscriptions with either English language,or any of the indigenous languages – Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo.
According to the apex bank, the Arabic inscriptions on the naira notes started during the colonial era and does not maket Arabic an official language in Nigeria”.
CBN further argued that Ajami was written on the naira notes by the colonialists to help uneducated persons who, back then, constituted a major part of Nigerians.
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