Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwoland, has explained the Yoruba custom of sprinkling money at parties as a manifestation of their cultural essence. He claims that both the Yoruba and Igbo cultures are deeply embedded with this custom.
Oluwo criticised the recent Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) crackdown on people who misuse Nigerian currency, calling it a misguided attempt, in a statement sent by his press secretary, Alli Ibrahim.
Before taking punitive action, he advised EFCC staff to give priority to extensive public education efforts about appropriate management of naira.
The statement reads: “There is a cultural spirit in Yoruba that forces you to spend money uncontrollably at your exciting moment. I’m sure the spirit will be tamed when people have public knowledge of possible penalties for naira abuse. The commission should not place the cart before the horse.
“The recent litigations by the EFCC against naira abuse is a misplaced priority. The practice of spraying money is more cultural for the Yorubas and Igbos. There is a cultural spirit in Yoruba that forces you to spend money uncontrollably at your exciting moment. I’m sure the spirit will be tamed when people have public knowledge of possible penalties for naira abuse. The commission should not place the cart before the horse.
“EFCC should use both print and electronic media to enlighten the public on those acts constituting naira abuse and spell out penalties. The public knowledge will unavoidably caution individuals and empower the commission to identify and punish arrogant naira abusers.”
The EFCC successfully convicted well-known cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, in an attempt to crack down on those involved in the misuse of Nigerian cash.
Similarly, for alleged naira abuse, the anti-corruption bureau filed charges against business magnate Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest. A Lagos High Court arraigned him on a three-count charge.
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