The Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confront the more disturbing issue of how terrorism is funded in the country rather than dissipate energy on probing the use of naira notes at Obi Cubana’ mother’s burial that held last week.
The rights group made the call in a Tuesday statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The Herald can report that the burial which held in Oba, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State has continued to dominate public discourse due largely to the sheer volume of money sprayed by guests.
Also, some critics said that the manner Obi Cubana and his guests sprayed naira notes at the event contravened Section 21 of the CBN Act, 2007 which prescribes a prison term or N50,000 fine or both for defaulters.
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Reacting, HURIWA said that spraying of money at the event should not become the talking point.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria under the current dispensation should rather be tasked by the media to confront the much more disturbing issue of how terrorism is funded and how armed kidnappers made up of Fulani militia in the North carry out their terrorism related activities such as accepting huge sums of ransoms from victims of kidnappings but yet neither the EFCC nor the CBN have successfully exposed these illicit commercial transactions.
“This issue of terrorism financing is the most critical issue that investigative reporters should pay close attention to instead of wasting media space speaking about some people who reportedly sprayed money at the burial at Oba in Anambra State.
“EFCC, CBN and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit should tell Nigerians why they have failed spectacularly to trace the financing of terrorism and kidnapping kingpins.
“We honestly don’t see much issues with what happened at Oba in Anambra State.”
HURIWA said that Obi Cubana has invested in developing many individuals and there was nothing wrong if those people decided to also reciprocate the love at his mother’s funeral.
The rights groups drew the attention of the authorities to similar events previously held by some prominent Nigerians without any repercussion whatsoever, querying why Obi Cubana’s should be any different/
“Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) applauds Mr. Obi Cubana for deploying his legitimately earned resources to positively and constructively empower youngsters who are in the margins of economic adversities.
“We think that the spraying of money during the burial ceremony should not constitute a major talking point.
“We say so because by and large, even when the son of the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami wedded in Kano there were allegations of unbridled display of ostentatious lifestyles by the top government officials who attended.
“Recently the Senate President Ahmed Lawan reportedly wedded a new bride and there was an allegation that he paid N100 million bride price.
“So, the fact that friends and well-wishers who attended the Solemn event decided to show appreciation to Mr. Obi Cubana, we in the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) think it should not become the talking point.”
Calling for the entrepreneur to be commended, HURIWA’s statement further read: “In any event, this same man Mr. Obi Cubana has lifted 300 youths to their better selves economically by donating N300 million economic empowerment initiative which will inevitably see that each of the 300 selected Youths in Oba Anambra State receives N1 million as business empowerment fund.”