A chorus of public indignation, anger and disquiet has greeted a viral video in which Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State dances while people sprayed Naira notes on him during wedding reception of Usaku Nathan Musa which took place at Ahmadu Ribadu College, Yola.

Usaku, the daughter of the Chief Justice of Adamawa state, Nathan Musa, married Jafia Peter Wajilda on November 21, 2020 in Yola, Adamawa state capital.

Fintiri alongside dignitaries including the speaker, Adamawa state house of assembly, Rt. Hon Aminu Iya Abbas, Chief of Staff Adamawa state government house, Prof. Maxwell Gidado and others danced to the admiration of the crowd while friends and well-wishers sprayed cash on him.

In its clean naira policy, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has outlawed any action that will lead to defacing, impairment or destruction of the naira note and prescribes a 6-month jail term or fine of N50,000 or both on anyone found guilty of the offence.

The Policy provided that a currency banknote shall be considered mutilated when it is partially or permanently damaged by fire, flood, soaked, dyed, torn, or destroyed by insects and other natural disasters and is more than one half of the size of the original note. It may or may not require special examination to determine its value.

It stated that, “for the avoidance of doubt, spraying of, dancing or matching on the naira or any note issued by the bank during social occasions or otherwise howsoever, shall constitute an abuse and defacing of the naira or such note and the person shall be liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than six months or to a fine not less than N50,000 or both such fine and imprisonment.

“Spraying includes adorning, decorating or spraying anything or any person or any part of any person or the person of another with naira notes or coins or sprinkling or sticking of the naira notes or coins in a similar manner regardless of the amount, occasion or the intent.

“It is against the law to step on the currency notes. Marching includes spreading, scattering or littering of any surface with any naira notes or coins and stepping thereon, regardless of the value, volume, occasion or intent.

“It amounts to an act of defacing of the naira and the person shall be liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than six months or to a fine not less than N50,000 or both such fine and imprisonment.”

But from their actions, both the governor on whom N1,000 notes was being sprayed on and the sprayers seemed not to care a hoot that their actions were in contravention of Nigeria’s extant laws which Fintiri swore to protect.

Residents interviewed by our reporter, expressed dismay over the governor’s tacit endorsement of abuse of the naira notes by looking the other way when the important national symbol is being desecrated.

A resident of Jimeta, Mustapha Shehu who expressed surprise by the governor’s action said, it is reprehensible, a clear circumvention of Nigeria’s law and a slap on the faces of majority of Adamawa residents who are contending with excruciating level of poverty.

“Even if the law did not prevent such action, anyone with moral etiquettes and values will find it reprehensible to carry such action in view of the excruciating poverty in the land which exacerbates the plight of the toiling masses. The fact that the governor was caught doing it makes the whole thing venal and preposterous,” Shehu said.

Another resident of Yola, Nuruddeen Baba said Nigeria’s woes came as a result of the impunity being hoisted by our present crop of leadership noting that it is surprising that Adamawa people elected someone with such propensity for contempt against the laws of the land asking how someone with such mindset can serve as a shining example to others.

“I’m afraid that with the mindset of leaders who always break the law at will there is no way we can ever get things right. If as the governor of Adamawa State, Fintiri willfully participated in the subversion of the constitution, is he not giving you and me the license to misbehave? or are Nigerian laws made to punish only the masses?,” Baba queried.

Fintiri’s many inactions
In the course of his stewardship, governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has been enmeshed in some embarrassing conducts which became a sore epitaph of his nearly two year administration. These actions invariably soiled and blighted his record.

Recall that about five months ago, the governor was in the news for the wrong reasons in Port Harcourt. The governor had a brush with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for his refusal to observe the airport security and public health protocols to guard against the spread of coronavirus.

FAAN which condemned Fintiri’s action as “irresponsible” said such breach is least expected from someone holding a high political office like Fintiri.

In a tweet by FAAN on its official twitter handle on Thursday, July 16, 2020, the organization accused Fintiri and 8 others of refusing to observe the airport security and public health protocols as directed by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 by refusing to be sanitized or have their temperatures checked.

FAAN in its tweet post said, “The management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby strongly condemns the conduct of the Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who arrived Port Harcourt International Airport aboard aircraft 5N-IZY, at 17.08 hrs on 14th July 2020 with 8 others, and who flagrantly refused to observe the airport security and public health protocols as directed by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 by refusing to have their temperatures checked or being sanitized by health officials.

“His whole entourage of 8 did exactly as he did. The team that came to receive them drove right through the barricades up to the terminal building ignoring traffic and aviation security instructions.

“This irresponsible act endangers all other airports users, it is unacceptable and as such it has also been duly escalated FAAN hereby cautions all airports users, especially our esteemed VIPs, to please respect the presidential directive by observing airport security and public health travels protocols put in place to protect all air travellers against acts of unlawful interference, infection and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.’’

Although the governor through his DG, media and communications, Solomon Kumangar has disputed FAAN’s claim, the incident still remained a blight on the governor.

The governor was again in the news for the wrong reasons when he was heard in a viral audio clip threatening a resident of Adamawa State, Hussaini Bello Gambo Nakura.

In an exclusive piece, FOMBINATIMES reported the incident alongside the audio clip. Although IT experts have validated the authenticity of the audio clip, the governor again disassociated himself with it, saying that it was doctored by his enemies and political traducers in order to impugn his hard earned reputation.

[FOMBINA TIMES]