The National Coordinator of Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices(POCACOV), CSP Ebere Amaraizu has expressed worry and concern over the magnitude of rising incidences of abuse of Nigerian currency notes in various communities by Nigerians, calling for change of attitude and value reorientation for a better society.
According to Amaraizu who bared his mind on the ugly development and the planned program of action by the police campaign against cultism and other vices(POCACOV) towards mitigating the trend, “it was worrisome to note that despite several provisions by relevant authorities and agencies on how the currency should be handled, incidences of abuse such as spraying of Naira during occasions like wedding ceremonies, birthday ceremonies amongst others and the most worrisome aspect of it is how these set of Nigerians spray the money and even match on it.
“This has to stop because it is not only unpatriotic but a measure that usually sends wrong signals to our teeming youths and also telling them that such is a source of knowing who cares and loves the celebrant.
“It also promotes the chances of getting rich quick syndrome and spirit of being wreckless to finance. We need to go back to the drawing board by all stakeholders to pass the right message for respect to Nigerian currency through value reorientation.
“The society should agree to look at those in this habit as unpatriotic and working at opposite direction with the established value system. It is against the law to be spraying money, dancing or matching on the naira or any note issued by the bank during social occasions or otherwise. The act against naira shall constitute abuse including defacing of the naira or such note as the person shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not less than six months or to a fine or both fine and imprisonment.
“What is required now is to strenghten measures to ensure that the ugly situation does not become a culture to behold and for all stakeholders, all tiers of government, non-governmental persons, religious leaders, traditional rulers, faith-based organizations to join hands with POCACOV to raise awareness and sensitization to end the ugly development.
“The duty we all owe ourselves is to rise against any issue of abuse and disrespect to Nigerian currency. We must think Nigeria first and we must be patriotic and law abiding after all Albert Enstein said and I quote: ‘the World will not be destroyed by those that do evil but by those who see evil and refuse to act.’
“A word is enough for the wise, LETS SAY NO AGAINST SPRAYING, MATCHING AND DANCING WITH NIGERIAN NAIRA NOTES because our young ones are seeing us and will be practising this and by so doing make the ugly development to continue to exist.”
