‘Inclusion of Arabic Inscriptions on Nigeria’s Currencies Connotes Negative Implications’ – Pastor Peters ‘Inclusion of Arabic Inscriptions on Nigeria’s Currencies Connotes Negative Implications’ – Pastor Peters
  Worried by issues he sees as wrong with Nigeria, including the one he identifies with the country’s currency, the Naira, Pastor Godswill Chukwudi... ‘Inclusion of Arabic Inscriptions on Nigeria’s Currencies Connotes Negative Implications’ – Pastor Peters
Pastor Godswill  Peters

Pastor Godswill Peters

 

Pastor Godswill  Peters...at the law court

Pastor Godswill Peters…at the law court

Worried by issues he sees as wrong with Nigeria, including the one he identifies with the country’s currency, the Naira, Pastor Godswill Chukwudi Peters has stood up to challenge the elevant authorities in court. Pastor Peters is in court to challenge the inclusion of Arabic inscriptions in the higher denomination of the Naira currency. In this interview, Pastor Peters explains his reason for making the inclusion of Arabic letters in Nigeria’s currency, a cause he has vowed to champion. Excerpts:

Who is Pastor Chukwudi Peters?

Pastor Godswill Chukwudi peters is a native of Ihie village, Owerre Ezukala Orumba south Local Government Area of Anambra state Nigeria. Pastor Godswill Peters graduated from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and today is a certified member of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria Lagos state chapter.

 

What prompted this agitation?

It is divine, God opened my eyes to see, read a meaning into the Arabic inscription on the currency notes called Naira. At the end of my research I found it illegal and discriminatory. In a state that is supposed to be a circular one with many ethic languages, different cultures and religion.

How and when did it all begin?

In pre – independence era the legal tender was pounds stellings. Arabic were not there. After independence there was nothing like that in our coins until 1977 after the death of former head of state gen Muritala Mohammed in 1976. The first paper money was N20 where Muritala’s effigy was found with the Arabic inscription. This took place during one year anniversary of the late head state in 1977. Since then every new currency bears the Arabic’s till date. But in 2007 Soludo removed it from N5, N10, N20, N50 but the Muslim northerners stopped him from continuing via a protest. Why protest? You may ask.

Pastor, don’t you think that lack of western education prevalent in the North could be responsible for the inclusion of Arabic so that the educationally disadvantage northerners can utilize the currency?

That notion sounds good but in the actual sense it remains an imbalanced notion. The fact remains that there is no tribe, religion or region in Nigeria that lacks total educationally disadvantage  citizens moreover even if that should be considered, Arabic should not be remedy because Arabic is not the language of the northerners rather Hausa . Arabic is not Nigerian, it is totally alien.

 

Pastor, do you think there are any implications on Nigeria as a country?

Thank you very much. The inclusion of Arabic inscriptions on Nigeria’s currencies connotes much negative implications such as terror. In fact, suicide bombings and terrorism which remains the bane of world peace today is a product of the Arab world. To inscribe Arabic on the currencies of a nation like Nigeria that was colonized by Britain not Arabs, a symbol buried in the currency of a nation that has English as her official language, a country with over 250 ethnic regions with different languages, brings a sense of disintegration and disunity.

What do you want to achieve in this struggle?

I want to achieve lasting integration, oneness and unity of purpose for all Nigerians. It was lack of these that the entity called Nigeria keeps suffering because when you deny someone a sense of belonging you should not expect any sacrifices from the person for the growth of such country. So this crusade should involve all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, language or religion so that we Nigerians could truly be one indeed. This movement does not stop with the currencies but it just started with currencies.

Pastor who is behind you in this struggle, I mean do you have sponsor because you have been to radio stations, you been to the television stations and newspapers with the message. You also have two lawyers under your payroll in this struggle. So how do you fund this?

Thank you for that question. So far God in heaven has been behind me, no other person has assisted me financially. But I must not fail to tell you that the zeal to restore a lasting unity and oneness in Nigeria has made me to spend the little I earn so far. It is obvious that if I had people financing this course by now it should be a discourse in every nation of the world. People keep wondering my courage, they keep saluting the courage, then I realize the phobia it carries, then I begin to understand why so many issues that destroy the nation remain unaddressed.

That brings us to the legal part of this struggle. Pastor, how far have the court gone in dispensing justice in this case?

Thank you. We filed the matter in court in September 2012 and since then it has been either the judge is not in town or the court is on vacation. So far, 5 good times the case was standing in court for mention. It was only on the 6th time that was precisely on June 19th 2013 that it was called up by a judge who obviously appeared enemy to the case who struck it out on the grounds of incompetence. Though, the hand writing was clear on the wall but we shall take that judgment to the appeal court soon.

 

As a pastor why not continue your quest through prayers. Why the courts?

Thank you. Two things we were asked to do;

  1. Give to God that which is Gods and
  2. Give to Caeser that which is Caeser’s period.

And finally Pastor Chukwudi, what can you say has been your experience since September 2012 when you began this quest?

This has made me to know that in Nigeria, there are national issues that are simply untouchable and there are sacred cows. So the fear of them is the beginning of safety. Since September 2012 when this struggle began, several threats have been made on my life and that of my family. At a point I had to relocate my family to Anambra state as a safer zone also to allow me concentrate on the matter. I lived in Lagos with my family but the matter is at Enugu, Eastern Nigeria. My contacts and church has been in Lagos but the threats forced me to return to Eastern region of Nigeria. Also I discovered that even people in public offices do not have regards for the people that give them the mandate (the masses) to serve. Why I said this is because before I proceeded to court I had sent two un-replied letters where I requested an explanation from the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Secondly, I attended the constitutional review conference of South Eastern senators in November 2012 which was held at Enugu where I presented and submitted over 10 copies of my case upon request by senators who promised to do something about it in Abuja but nothing has come out of that since then. In summary this struggle has enabled me to see that Nigeria is an entity hijacked by a few selfish individuals. They impoverish the masses in order to enjoy absolute control of the country, a country with abundant natural resources where over 79% of the population lives below poverty line, a land where over 68 and half percent of the youths live without employment. This is my discovery, my experience and my grief.

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