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Bobrisky and Emefiele: The Judgment Between.
Tongues have really been wagging since the incarceration of the cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye Olarewaju, popularly known as Bobrisky, after pleading guilty of the offences leveled against him before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos and the release on bail of Nigeria’s former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Because the two judgments came up on the same day, many Nigerians are still in dilemma on the justification of the bail option of Emefiele that set him free and the caging of Bobrisky vis-à-vis the allegation on naira abuse that is common among Nigerians. As a follow up to this case where Nigerians believe the Economic and Financial Crime Commission would have been inundated with video recordings of abuse of the naira from various quarters as social media is already awash with them, the inability of EFCC to have prosecuted most of these people after Bobrisky with the plethora of evidence received so far, have made many to resolve that snake really has hand inside on Bobrisky confinement.
As many Nigerians are yet to forgive Emefiele over his role before and during last year general election that without warning snuffed life out of many innocent citizens, the families of those who lost their lives and many who suffered untold hardship have even concluded in their heart that his arrest would lead him to prison, but how wrong they were!
The primary objective of the Central Bank of Nigeria is to ensure economic and price stability; issue legal tender currency, maintaining external reserves in order to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency. It is also there to promote sound financial system, act as Banker and also provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government. But under Emefiele, Nigeria’s Consumer Prize Index otherwise known as inflation rate, increased by 241% which was the worst since Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999.
To clear your doubt, during the captainship of Joseph Sanusi over the highest financial body in the land between May 29th 1999 to 2004, inflation only increased by 80% and during Charles Soludo’s between 29th May 2004 to 2009, it dropped to 68% while Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from 3rd June 2009 to 2014 further dropped it to 62%. As his regime also witnessed multiple exchange rates, legal tender management under him was in disaster as well as unstable regime of capital importation to Nigeria. He also remained the most politically involved governor of the Bank in Nigeria being the first CBN governor to contest for the president of Nigeria while in office. With these obvious failures, he further engineered his naira redesign policy that gave birth to naira scarcity in Nigeria with subsequent death of many innocent Nigerians. So, how he escaped the big harmer of justice is still a mystery to many. Anyway, that is a story for another day. Let’s return to the issue of today.
Arraigned before the Federal High Court Sitting in Ikoyi in Lagos, Bobrisky who was seen in a viral video spraying naira notes to the floor in a social function, was charged on a six-count charge, four of the charges which was signed by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) were based on the abuse of naira while the remaining two which together run up to about ₦180 million were on money laundering. As the first four of the charges were based on spraying money at social events at different locations, with the last one that broke the camel being the event of March 24th 2024 at Imax Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos which EFCC said is punishable under section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007. But with so many videos flying over different social media platforms of politicians and moneybags spraying money without caution and without incurring the wrath of our workaholic anti graft agency, shall we then say Bobrisky was unjustifiably sentenced?
Among the various articles that I have consumed in this direction, I will like to engage the one written by Reno Omokri when he alludes that government deliberately went after Bobrisky in order to crack down on the trending cross dressing culture in Nigeria because when you strike the shepherd, the sheep will scatter. But doing so circuitously so as not to attract the big whip of Western power is what beats my imagination; chiefly on how long will Nigeria keep being subservient to the West. The last time I checked, Nigeria is a sovereign nation and a sovereign nation is one with a permanent population, defined territory, a government not under another and ultimately, such a nation must have power to govern itself without interference from outsider but with complete control over its territory. It means that no other state should have power over the country’s territory.
As sovereign power lies beyond the power of others to interfere, Africa has historically gone through many stages where Western powers have variously contended with its soul. In fact, as there is already a prediction that the next phase of scrambling for Africa will soon commence, Nigeria as the giant of the continent must be ready to lead by example through taking assertive policies that promote the culture of the land and not in the interest of the West. This was what former President Jonathan did on 13th January 2014 when he signed into law the Bill that criminalises same sex marriage. Though some people will argue that the signing of LGBTQ was the cost of Jonathan’s second term in office but by and large, a statement was made that Nigerians were proud of.
Nigeria for instance can assert herself by openly prohibiting cross-dressing which is a subset of some existing laws instead of going via a route that can cause more trouble because “where no law is, there is no transgression”. What do I mean? Since there exists extant law in Nigeria against the abuse of naira, if indeed nobody is above the law, then many others who are daily found guilty of this crime should be arrested and prosecuted because if otherwise and government cannot explain to Nigerians the reason for the imprisonment of Bobrisky, which will simply means selective justice. Alternatively, for government to come out clean on this allegation, EFCC can decide to wake up and go after naira abusers in the real sense including politicians.
This is a serious matter that the administration of Bola Tinubu is expected to pay critical attention because Africa must not continue to be the lackeys of the West. It’s in this direction that Patrick Lumumba once said in a forum that if Africa will be great and the world respect us, Nigeria must see herself as the eyes with which Africa see and must also note that “Africa will never be at ease as long as Nigeria is not at ease.” He has also advocated in many fora on the need for Africa’s regeneration through carving out her own agenda that would develop the continent because Europeans and other civilizations have less of Africa in mind but the promotion of their culture. African leaders should know as well that there is no nation better than the other except in management.
Just in February 2024, the parliament of Ghana passed legislation against LGBTQ where part of the law addresses the issue of cross dressing but report has it that within days according to @renoomokri, “it was announced that if Ghanaian President signed that Law, the World Bank would have to reconsider a $3.8 billion loan to Ghana.” That of course prompted Akufo-Addo to push the law aside. This of course is not a true reflection of a leader that should be proud of.
As someone summarized on his X account that: “The Nigerian government targeted Bobrisky due to cross dressing trends but avoided direct action to evade backlash, a savvy approach was taken by using a naira abuse law to arrest Bobrisky, effectively curbing cross-dressing without inviting international scrutiny or sanctions,” I ask, sanction from where and from who? while it is a noble idea to clamp down on the trending cross-dressing culture in Nigeria, I honestly see no reason government cannot come out straight! President Bola Tinubu is only answerable to Nigerians and not the West. Leaders across board should take note.
Our judicial system should also take caution because the wrong trend you praise just because it deals with common enemy can turn tomorrow. So if the law has come to stay, it should henceforth remain so with EFCC ready to use its koboko (whip) because before now, there have been cases of revered stakeholders in the land including traditional rulers who have erred in this manner but the hand of justice was lenient on them. Just early this year, the Olu of Owode In Obafemi Owode Local Government in Ogun State, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo was suspended for two months without salary by Egba Traditional Council over alleged abuse of naira notes during his 13th anniversary of ascension to the throne while the National Orientation Agency (NOA) only gave him strict warning.
Government should therefore come out clean and clear on every issue that bother on the progress of the country so that everybody would learn and also know where their rights begin and end on every issue. We must not deny who we are just to please some foreign power. We must also express our Nigerianness regardless of what any power says because they also need us as we need them. We all depend one on another for one thing or the other. Nigeria must not always be a dumping ground for western culture because already, so much damage has been done to our culture.
Today, many of our children cannot speak indigenous languages, we see white wedding as the perfection of traditional wedding while importation has replaced local production. Our leaders steal our money to store in white man’s land while we in turn go back there to borrow same on interest. We abandoned our tourism centres to go for vacation overseas while our institutions of higher learning are suffering from infrastructural development just because the children of the rich and government official are studying overseas. We should wake up.
Going forward on naira abuse, as admonished by the Paramount Ruler of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, EFCC should embark on comprehensive enlightenment campaign on what constitute abuse of naira and sanction place on defaulters appropriately. The commission can in partnership with NOA achieve this and come out in full thereafter against offenders. And ultimately, Nigeria under President Tinubu must be ready to take a stand on every issue and let the world know about it, enough of needless servitude to the West.
Olushola Omogbehin a public affairs analyst Writes from Abuja Nigeria omogbehino@yahoo.com 08069220040
