Ogun Monarch Issues Apology After Naira Abuse Controversy
The Olu Owode Egba in Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun state, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, has issued an apology to the federal government following a viral video depicting his alleged abuse of the Nigerian currency.
In the video, Oba Sowemimo is seen creating a long rope of N1000 notes, which he then hung around the neck of popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, during the celebration of his wife’s birthday anniversary.
The incident sparked outrage on social media, with numerous Nigerians condemning the monarch’s actions. Responding to the public backlash, the federal government, through the National Orientation Agency (NOA), sent a letter to the monarch, warning him about the consequences of his actions and threatening potential imprisonment for the act of naira abuse.
Director General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in the letter stated, “The NOA has the mandate to preserve and promote the integrity of our national symbols, and we are compelled to appeal to you and indeed all traditional rulers to see it as part of your duty to preserve these symbols as part of our national culture.”
Citing Section 21 (3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, Issa-Onilu emphasized that any form of defacement or abuse of the naira constitutes a punishable offense by law, either through fines or imprisonment.
Oba Sowemimo, in response to the controversy, expressed regret for his actions and pledged to refrain from similar acts in the future. The monarch attributed his behavior to the excitement of celebrating his wife’s birthday after a 13-year hiatus from hosting parties.
“I don’t want to argue or talk about that matter with anybody again. If I did anything wrong, I’m sorry,” said Oba Sowemimo. “But it will not happen again. I’m not happy with the way people are talking about me on social media. I was just carried away with the celebration of my wife. For 13 years, I’ve never done any party, so I was so excited that I wanted to kill off the party. But I’m really sorry,” he added.
Credit: The Guardian