By: Kemisola Oye
AS part of efforts to ease the suffering of court users while filing processes at the Lagos State judiciary registries, the Chief Judge, Kazeem Alogba, has directed account officers to henceforth accept electronic transfers alongside cash payment from members of the public.
The practice before now was only cash payment only.
Justice Alogba, in a statement signed by the AG. Chief Registrar, Tajudeen Elias, reiterates that the state judiciary is an integral part of the Nigerian judiciary and holds tenaciously to the due administration of justice and the rule of law in particular.
The Chief Judge advised court users to make use of the existing electronic platform for payments whilst the development was being dealt with.
Business activities at the various court registries in Lagos State were grounded as court officials declined to receive old Naira notes from litigants and lawyers on the ground that their official bank, Polaris, was no longer accepting it as legal tender.
Specifically, the account officials at the court registry in Ikeja High Court, who spoke under the condition of anonymity said an attempt to pay in old note collected by them into the government account was denied by Polaris Bank.
She also said that they have received a directive from their boss to stop collecting old currency, noting that henceforth, lawyers and litigants must not come with the old currency because it will no longer be accepted.
The official further said that the only currency acceptable for filing court processes in the Lagos Judiciary Registry was the new notes.
One of the affected lawyers who did not want to mention his name confirmed that the registry at Osborne Division of Lagos High Court also rejected the old note and turned him back from filling his process.
He affirmed that the problem was not the judiciary officials but that of the CBN governor who is visiting anarchy in the nation by jettisoning the Supreme Court order.
“Non-acceptance of old notes would be catastrophic to the nation. The highest court in the land, the Supreme Court order is being flouted with impunity. It is obvious that the CBN, especially the governor, Godwin Emefiele, is ready to impose a state of anarchy on Nigeria by directing banks against the order of the apex court.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Polaris Bank spokesperson, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa has not replied or responded to inquiries sent to him after several calls. He was said to be in a meeting.
Our correspondents who went round the Ikeja Metropolis observed that other banks rejecting the old notes include FCMB, Polaris, UBA and Fidelity Bank