By PAMELA EBOH Awka

A group under the aegis of Voters Rights Association of Nigeria (VRAN) has described the Supreme Court’s ex-parte ruling suspending the Federal Government’s Naira policy as the rule of law in action.

In a press release signed by its president, Dr Jezie Ekejiuba, on Friday, the group said that by the well-founded ruling of the Supreme Court, the people have seen respite.

He, however, adjudged the statement of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami on Arise TV during his interview on Thursday as a propaganda tool to weaken the hopes of the suffering citizenry who are currently tormented by the anti-people’s demonetization policy of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The statement partly reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami’s interview on Arise TV on Thursday that the Federal Government was hopeful that the Ex-Parte Ruling of the Supreme Court which suspended the February 10 deadline on the old naira notes swap will be upturned on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction and non-joinder of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN in the suit.

“From the online publication of the suit marked SC/CV/162/2023 Attorney-General of Kaduna State & 2 Ors Vs Attorney-General of the Federation the gravamen of the dispute is clearly all about the complaints against the way and manner the Federal Government of Nigeria demonetization policy is/was being implemented by the FG agency, CBN and the attendant hardship and suffering being visited on the hapless citizens of the respective states of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara and by extension throughout the Federation.

“VRAN hereby wishes to give all the praises and thanks to the people loving Governor, El Rufai, Gov. Bello and Gov. Matawalle of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara states respectively for not standing by and feeling unconcerned while their subjects are being suffocated and cash trapped by the draconian naira policy of the federal government.

“The other governors who have not joined this legal protest have shown that they are not only wicked and have no feelings for the pains the citizens are currently passing through but have proved to be anti-people.”

VRAN posited that the demonetization policy now in dispute is a policy of the federation cum federal government of Nigeria headed by President Muhammadu Buhari who gave the initial approval to the Governor of the CBN, an agency of the FGN to carry out the implementation of the FGN policy in accordance with the CBN Act.

It insisted that the mere fact that the CBN is responsible for the implementation of the FGN policy does not make it a CBN policy.

The group called on all Nigerians to pray without ceasing for the success of the Governor's case on merit as there is nothing in Section 232(1) of the 1999 Constitution which provides for the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court that can prevent the Supreme Court from hearing the matter on the merit.