The last time the matter of spraying money was a topic of heated national debate in Nigeria was between 2006 and 2008. It started when the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo sent a new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Bill to the National Assembly for ratification. The Bill wasn’t signed into law until the following year after boisterous debate in both chambers of the legislature and a televised public hearing. The main theme of the bill was around amendments to the independence of the CBN but the section that ignited debate was Section 21(3): “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 shall be punishable under Sub-section (1) of this section”.

The punishment referred to is imprisonment for a term not less than six months or a fine not less than N50,000 or both. The erstwhile CBN governor, Professor Charles Soludo was singled out by enraged Nigerians as the face of the beast that was trying to take away one of their favourite pastimes. Renowned juju musician, King Sunny Ade in particular was very vocal at the time, speaking against the ban on spraying money (possibly out of self-interest?).

The matter of spraying cash is one of those that splits public opinion right down the middle. A staunch group made up of mostly habitual ‘owambe’ revelers propagates an argument that it is part of our culture and traditional, however, they are yet to make a case about the ancestral origins of spraying that holds water.

Article concludes @: www.talkingmoney.com.ng/will-you-be-spraying-at-your-next-party-read-this/