Legal luminary, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has picked hole in the implementation of the new naira note policy saying it has brought untold hardship to Nigerians.
Olanipekun who is the President, Body of Benchers noted that the people in the informal sector of the economy who are in the majority were seriously affected called on the government to address the situation.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria spoke after he was appointed a visiting Professor of Legal practice by the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, (FUOYE) also said it is sacrilegious for any lawyer to be commenting fancifully on any matter that is pending in court.
He said ” the reality on ground is that the policy of the new redesigned naira note is a good idea but the implementation of the good idea is faulty.
“Those who don’t have bank account such as the motherless, fatherless, taxi drivers, orphans, petty traders, among others are the worst hit
“That Nigerians are suffering, yes, people depend on some people, who are not using POS, to feed, pay school fees, buy something to eat at home everyday.
“Those who make out the informal economy in Nigeria,are people who are not into white collar jobs, government don’t pay them monthly, they sell, hawk their wares, the downtrodden”
“The naira policy, the way it was initiated, I don’t want to doubt the good faith of government, but one thing is that government exist to make life easier, pleasurable, meaningful, habitable for the citizenry, that is the prime essence of government”
“I will not say much if government says that they are doing this because, they don’t want the politics and election to be monetized. I agreed with government but the question is this, if your election and your politics are monetized, what are the security agencies doing.”
“Majority of the people are suffering, the people have the money they cannot access in the bank, that money is useless”
Chief Olanipekun who pleaded with Nigerians not to pull down the judiciary institution in the country said, “It is always better and even very decent and the ethics of our profession when a matter is subjudice not to comment on it”
He advised lawyers to subject any matter or judgment of the court to criticism in law journals, law reports, write ups, and not by ways of abusing and to call it beautiful names saying abuse is no arguments and doesn’t improve arguments.
