Spraying at Parties: Has Somebody Been Caught?

By Bayo Alade and Friday Ekeoba

WHEN the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) came up with the idea of prosecuting anybody spraying naira at parties, not a few were amused. To them, it is like tea without sugar or taking the wind out of the boat’s sail. What party would be complete without spraying?

Spraying is as old as tradition itself, especially in the south- west part of the country. During any celebration, a drummer entertains the guests and to show appreciation for the dexterity displyed, cowrie shells were placed on the drummer’s forehead and he got more energised drumming away.

However, things have moved well beyond cowrie shells. Those who have money use the opportunity of a social gathering to show how wealthy they are. Those who have the money show their class by spraying the highest denomination. At this point, those who see N1000 as enough to cook a pot of soup for the family have to move back.

While the south-west merry makers often pick the money most of the time before falling to the ground, at the other side of the Niger where moneybags are kings, they allow the money to fall to the ground and then show that they are masters over money by stepping on it until the new notes turn dirty.

To further show their class, some people spray foreign currencies like pound sterling or dollar , the two most popular foreign currencies in the country.

As part of the attempt to curb abuse of the naira the CBN, with the help of the National Assembly came up with the CBN Act and in Sections 20 and 21, made it clear what constitutes abuse of the naira. These sections made it “a crime to refuse to accept the naira to trade in either the notes or coins as well as to spray the notes at parties.”

Section 21 subsection 3 made it clearer. “For the avoidance of doubt, spraying of, dancing on the naira or any note issued by the bank during social occasions or otherwise, however, shall constitute an abuse and defacing of the naira shall be punishable under subsection 1, that is, six months imprisonment or N50,000 fine.”

This stand obviously did not go down well with a cross section of the country’s socialites and musicians whose livelihood depends on spraying. King Sunny Ade, notable juju musician, was reported to have protested after the enactment that the step would kill an age-old tradition, if not robbing musicians of good money at parties where the moneybags often show their affluence by spraying wads and wads of new notes. The question now is: how many people have been arrested since the enactment? Legal adviser and director, legal services, CBN, Mr Anthony Olatujoye, said at a press conference last year that “the apex bank lacks the power to prosecute any defaulter.” Rightly so? The CBN had played its part, at least in enlightening the public, it is now left for the Police to enforce the law.

This much is the point in a commercial by the CBN to enlighten the public. A team of policemen on patrol sighted a group of merrymakers spraying money at a wedding party, the team leader approached them and told them “it is an offence to spray money.” The groom was subsequently arrested along with a few other guests.

Unfortunately, not anywhere has a real-life episode of such a scenario being recorded. A typical Nigerian policeman would rather be seen providing security at parties, rather than being a ‘spoil-sport’.

Meanwhile, it is not spraying at parties alone that constitutes an abuse of the naira. Before now it is a common sight, especially at motor parks in Lagos and other urban centres to see newly-minted denominations of the country’s currencies being sold with some added percentage as commission, while the banks which are expected to have them would be claiming a shortage of the same currencies.

Although nobody has confirmed it, the rumour is that the commercial banks are the brains behind the thriving business of currency abuse at parties and its sale at motor parks from where they make money to shore up their profit base.

The money so exchanged at the motor parks eventually find their way to funeral and house warming ceremonies, birthday parties and wedding receptions. A party- goer in Lagos Island, Kayode Kareem, even told Saturday Tribune that he could borrow to find the money to spray at parties.

While the mixed reaction on the issue of spraying of naira notes lingers, it is curious to know that spraying of the legal tender has continued unabated not among the ordinary Nigerians but a selected few who are ‘privileged’ to be top uniformed personnel or connected to the upper echelon of the uniform service.

A case in point was the 70th birthday of a chartered accountant celebrated recently at a popular Lagos club (Eko Club) situated at Surulere, Lagos, done with the support of his wife, a lieutenant colonel. It was spraying galore.

The irony of it all was that the same police officers who were expected to effect the arrest of those who flout the rules were the ones collaborating with other uniformed personnel.

Mrs. Kemi Olukoya, a businesswoman while speaking on naira abuse said what the CBN and Federal Government had in mind when they came up with the Act on abuse of the naira was that such acts of abuse would be reduced. “But it’s not really the spraying of money that abuses naira. Just look at how policemen collect N20 notes and squeeze them into their pockets. You will see that during parties, it’s the new notes that they usually spend, not the squeezed ones, so I don’t really buy the idea of stopping spraying of money at parties.”

She noted that the stoppage has affected social gatherings, stressing that “spraying of naira is like our culture, almost all tribes in Nigeria engage in it , be it Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, etc. When they celebrate at parties they spray. Without spraying, the party will just be dull.”

According to her the ban on spraying naira notes has affected the holding of parties “because when people organise parties, they expect that they will get something in return . For instance, all those things you acquired on credit, you have to look for a way to pay your debt. Spraying money is really part of us.”

Speaking along the same line, Olukoya explained that the implication on the society was that there would be less parties around. “Normally, parties are a give-and-take thing, but since they have stopped the spraying of money, it’s not everybody that will like to be putting money in envelopes,” she added

In his own reaction, a man of God, Pastor Robison Aban, said usually after the spraying, the money, especially if it’s an open place, would become muddy.

“I think it will be wise and reasonable for any person who is a Nigerian to comply because you can’t go to America and see the American dollar being abused that way. Everybody in America respects the American dollar, so Nigerians should learn to respect the naira.

“It was just an attitude that Nigerians grew up with, having the mindset that in parties they spray money. Apart from that, let’s take, for example, outside Nigeria , there are social gatherings without spraying of the currency and the gathering still goes on well. So I don’t think it will affect social gatherings in Nigeria in any way. If you intend to give the celebrants money, there is nothing wrong in parcelling that money in an envelope and giving it to the person. It doesn’t affect the social gathering.

“Those who throw parties for monetary gains should be discouraged. Usually, party is supposed to be a ceremony where people come, drink and eat free without paying for anything. So I don’t think parties should be thrown for monetary gains.”

The clergyman opined that “there are no implications, but rather it would promote decency and respect for the naira which would make Nigerians to hold clean naira notes at all times”.

Contributing to the issue, Taiwo Oyediran, a trader, says “It is the best thing that can ever happen to our naira notes. Naira notes have become a ‘business’ at various interstate parks where notes are being sold. For example, N1000 is being sold for N900. Those new notes which are meant for bank customers are being sold and hoarded by the money hawkers, while the old ones are being given out during transactions. With this ban, it will bring a change.”