Chairman, Board of Trustees of Anti-corruption group, Center for Human Rights and Anti-, Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), Cleric Ebikonbowei Alaowei, (Esq), has explained why the group petitioned the International Criminal Court, (ICC) to commence criminal investigation against Nigeria’s immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari and the country’s recently suspended Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

CHURAC had last week, in a petition route through the Office of the Prosecutor Communications, International Criminal Court, ICC, The Hague, The Netherlands, requested for the prosecution of Buhari and Emefiele for crime against humanity as provided under Article 15 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Alaowei on Sunday stated that the petition was hinged on policy both Buhari and Emefiele initiated and implemented when they were in government in Nigeria.

According to Alaowei, the redesign of the Nigerian currencies of 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes respectively with January 31st, 2023 as the deadline for use of the old naira notes as announced by the Emefiele-led CBN on the 26th of October, 2022, brought untold hardship on Nigerians, particularly venerable people.

He contended that despite the warning and criticisms from financial experts all over the world, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which warned that the timing of the policy will hurt the Nigerian economy thereby causing hardship to Nigerians, Buhari and Emefiele went ahead to frost the policy on Nigerians thus causing the death of many.

Specifically, the anti-graft group recalled that in October 28th 2022, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning in the Government of the Federation of Nigeria, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, had said the CBN did not consult her Ministry on the Policy and that the Currency Swap Policy will further jeopardize the Nigerian economy.

He said that Buhari and Emefiele despite public outcry and warning, stiffed the process of getting the redesigned new naira notes and even directed banks to stop over-the-counter withdrawal of the redesigned new naira notes in order to create artificial scarcity of the naira notes thereby making life difficult for the ordinary Nigerians.

The petition further reads; “Nigerians have to buy the few circulated new naira notes with costly prices. Ten Thousand Naira, for instance, have to be sold for fifteen thousand naira or more. Only few people can have access to the currencies. People in the rural areas became victims of this systematic policy of starvation. The Naira scarcity has occasioned an untold hardship which resulted to loss of lives and means of livelihoods across the Country

“On the 2nd of February 2023, some of the Nigerian State governments of Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara sued the Federal Government of Nigeria over the inimical naira redesigned policy at the Country’s apex, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Suit No: SC/CS/200/2023. Despite being aware of the pending Suit, CBN said it has no plan to extend February 10th 2023 deadline.

“Regrettably, Buhari and the CBN Governor flagrantly flouted the ruling of the apex Court in gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 (as amended).

“By February 13th 2023, ten days after, Buhari remained silent on how he intends to address the cash scarcity ravaging the Country after promising Nigerians. Meanwhile, on the 14th of February 2023, CBN insisted on the February 10th deadline for the old currency notes validity despite the pending Court order.

“In February 16th 2023, former President Buhari addressed Nigerians in live television broadcast on the Naira scarcity and approved the use of the old N200 notes till April 10th 2023 instead of complying with the pending Court order. Accordingly, on the 21st of February 2023, three Nigerian State governments initiated contempt proceedings against Godwin Emefiele and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who was representing Buhari in the Court for flouting the Supreme Court Order.

“The former President used the instruments of State powers to suppress the judicial process, while continuing with his anti-people’s policy which has subjected Nigerians to beaming end.

“While the back and forth moves on the Naira Redesign Policy and deadlines lasted, violent protests erupted across several parts of the Country as the cash scarcity hit Nigerians hard. The hardship was further exacerbated by the increase in the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as well as the scarcity of the product at the same time.

“Consequently, between the months of February and March 2023, residents of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, Abeokuta the capital of Ogun State amongst other States, took to the streets to protest the lingering petrol and cash scarcity.

“One person was killed during a face-off between the protesters and the Nigerian Police officers while the unrest in Ibadan lingered. Another person was reportedly shot by the Nigerian Police in the city of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

“An official of the Lagos State University (LASU) slumped and died while waiting in a long queue to withdraw money at a bank on the institution’s main campus in Ojo, Lagos.

“On the 2nd of February 2023 a bank customer died after queuing at a generation bank in Agbor, a town in Delta State of Nigeria. Also on the 11th of March 2023, a radio presenter with Fresh FM in the city of Ibadan slumped and died while trekking to work after a futile effort to withdraw cash from the bank.

“People spent five to six hours to stand in a queue in the banks just to withdraw may be two thousand naira notes which cannot even buy goods with the lowest prices in the market due to the rising inflation.

“In a similar vein, violent protests continued across the Country at the same period. Some commercial banks were destroyed in Edo, Ogun, Delta, Lagos, etc States while the protests lasted due to the Naira scarcity.

“The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) said that the Nigerian economy lost an estimated N20 trillion to the Policy during the naira scarcity. Former President Buhari and the CBN Governor later admitted that the policy was initiated to curb vote buying at the General Elections held on 25th of February and 18th of March 2023.

“The CBN Governor explained that the decision was reached due to persisting concerns with the management of currency in circulation — particularly those outside the banking system.

“Five months later, Nigerians have been directed to go back to using the old notes side by side with the new notes till December 31st 2023 but even at that the new Naira notes are not in circulation. It means the CBN Governor and former President Buhari deliberately initiated this policy to inflict an untold hardship on Nigerians just because of their interest in the general elections.

“The action of the duo of Mr. Godwin Emefiele and former President Buhari has flagrantly violated the fundamental rights of Nigerians entrenched in international laws. The act constituted crime against humanity as provided under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. We therefore, request you to carry out a holistic investigation of the crime in order to try them once they’re found culpable.

“Many Nigerians are still suffering and yet to recover from the adverse effects of the inimical currency swap policy. Even hospitals recorded so many deaths because people could not have access to their monies in the banks to fund treatments.

“If your office, in this matter, it will serve as deterrence to other leaders of nations from the member countries from trampling on the rights of their nationals in initiating policies. We’re ready to provide all necessary information for the investigation and possible prosecution of the culprits,” the petition reads. (Sun)