The origin of the ban on spraying

1980s

I attended a party at the official residence of a very senior government official in 1985 or '86. When it was time for the dance, the MC announced that there would be no spraying because spraying was not allowed. I thought that I understood why. My thought was that they did not want any ostentatious displays of wealth. That was in line with the situation in the country at the time.

From then on I heard similar announcements at parties that were held by government officials.

Dirty and mutilated notes in the 1990s and early 2000s

Fastforward to the late 1990s and early 2000s. Nigerians had been complaining about the poor quality of naira notes since the end of the 1990s. They complained that naira notes were dirty, torn and that in some cases you could barely read what's written on them. At that time (Joseph Sanusi era) the CBN put pressure on banks to receive old naira notes and forward them to it for destruction (Nigerians were complaining that banks were rejecting old naira notes).

Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and the change

Then came Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. Professor Soludo gave a speech in which he complained that the CBN was spending too much money to destroy mutilated notes and print new ones. He complained about the way that Nigerians treated bank notes. He reminded people that it was illegal to mishandle currency notes and he said that he was going to propose an amendment to the law to ensure that people who mishandle naira notes were severely punished.

Adverts

The CBN then released adverts to educate Nigerians about naira notes. You might remember them. The adverts were very detailed and explained every single situation properly. I’m going to try and explain them from memory.

1) Spraying: Do you want to show appreciation to a musician? Don’t paste naira notes on his forehead (where they will react with his sweat), don’t allow it to drop to the floor and react with dirt, don’t allow people to step and dance on it.

Instead, put the money in an envelope and go up and give it to the musician.

2) Carrying money: Don’t put naira notes in your bra where they will react with your sweat. Don’t squeeze naira notes and stuff them in your pockets. Get a wallet and put them neatly in the wallet.

3) Trading: Are you a trader/hawker? Don’t squeeze naira notes, don’t stuff them in your wrapper/pockets. Get a waist pouch and place them neatly in the pouch. Ensure that your hands are clean before you handle the naira. Don’t get blood or other liquids on the naira.

4) Church: Don’t squeeze naira notes into the collection box/basket. Put them in an envelope and place them neatly into the box/basket.

5) Selling change: Don’t sell naira notes. It is an offence. (Some people sell lower denomination notes [aka change] at parties, so that people will have money to spray).

6) Writing: Do you want to make calculations and write down important things? Don’t write on the naira, get a notepad.

All these scenarios were dramatised in the adverts (I’m sure that I have forgotten some of them).

The CBN said that the naira was a national symbol and people must treat it with respect.

Polymer notes:

You might remember that this was also one of the reasons that Professor Soludo introduced polymer notes. It was said that the polymer (plastic) notes would not get torn and would not absorb liquids as easily as the paper notes. It was also more difficult to write on the plastic notes.

Enforcement

The CBN act was amended to include jail terms for people who mishandle naira notes.

However, on one hand, some people expressed scepticism. Would the Central Bank go to all parties at weekends to arrest people that were spraying and selling change? They said that it was impossible to enforce.

On the other hand, some bloggers and rumour mongers created scare stories about policemen invading parties and arresting people.

Flagrancy

As stated above, the CBN/EFCC/ICPC cannot go to all parties every weekend and arrest every single person that sprays or sells money. They can’t arrest everybody that puts naira notes in their bra or stuffs them in their pocket.

Yet many people have been arrested and prosecuted for committing these offences in the past 17 years. How come?

Bobrisky was arraigned on a three count charge, that means he committed the offence 3 times, why wasn’t he arrested after the first or second time and why was he arrested after the third time? In fact, some people who follow these kind of events say that Bobrisky has sprayed money on more than 3 occasions. Why wasn’t he arrested all the other times? I’ll tell you what happened.

A movie producer wanted maximum publicity for her movie and she figured out a way to get it. Bobrisky was invited to the movie premiere and given an award for being the best dressed woman at the event. As expected, this caused an uproar.

The issue trended for a full week. There were many pictures, videos, stories and opinions about the incident. Many of them graced Nairaland’s homepage. The movie producer had gotten the publicity that she wanted.

In fact, the backlash was so great that the producer had to eventually admit that it was a publicity stunt (my friend had said that it was a publicity stunt right from when the first story broke).

Among the videos that trended for a week was a video of Bobrisky spraying money at the event. There was no way that it would not catch the attention of the EFCC.

A lot of people have been arrested and prosecuted for these offences in the past 17 years and if you look at them you’ll notice that they were all fragrant violations of the law.

A1) A Chinese man got angry at the Murtala Muhammed Airport and he tore over three thousand naira worth of notes right in front of security agents (Immigration, Customs, SSS). He was arrested by the SSS and handed over to the EFCC. He was prosecuted and sentenced to 2 years in jail.

https://www.efcc.gov.ng/efcc/news-and-information/news-release/8080-court-jails-chinese-two-years-for-naira-mutilation

Another actress was spraying money at an event and the video went viral. This was at a time that the government was very sensitive about the notes because they had just been redesigned and were scarce. Of course she was arrested and prosecuted.

https://www.nairaland.com/7553630/efcc-arrests-oluwadarasimi-omoseyin-over

A man became famous for creating jewelry made of naira and kobo coins. That fame was his problem. Of course he was arrested.

https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2023/5/currency-mutilation-man-jailed-for-using-nigerian-coins-to-make-jewelry-2.html

There were also some people that were selling new naira notes at a party in Ilorin at a time when the notes had been redesigned and were scarce. They were also arrested.


So as you can see and as you will see when I share more articles and stories, many people have been arrested and prosecuted for breaking this law before Bobrisky was arrested.

This Nairaland thread was created on May 2nd, 2006.

CBN Bill Bans Spraying Of Naira Notes

Idekeson:
President Olusegun Obasanjo has sent a new Central Bank of Nigeria bill to the National Assembly, which seeks to curtail the abuse of the country's currency.

Spraying of, dancing or marching 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 the new law.
It shall also be an offence to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in the naira note or any other note issued by the Bank.

Spraying under the new law includes adorning, decorating anything or any person or any part of any person or the person of another with naira notes or coins.

The bill also includes sprinkling, sticking of the naira notes or coins regardless of the amount, occasion or intent.

It also explained "marching" to include spreading, scattering or littering of any surface with any naira notes or coins and stepping thereon.

This is a welcome development. I hope it is passed into law ASAP.

naptu2:
The origin of the ban on spraying

1980s

I attended a party at the official residence of a very senior government official in 1985 or '86. When it was time for the dance, the MC announced that there would be no spraying because spraying was not allowed. I thought that I understood why. My thought was that they did not want any ostentatious displays of wealth. That was in line with the situation in the country at the time.

From then on I heard similar announcements at parties that were held by government officials.

Dirty and mutilated notes in the 1990s and early 2000s

Fastforward to the late 1990s and early 2000s. Nigerians had been complaining about the poor quality of naira notes since the end of the 1990s. They complained that naira notes were dirty, torn and that in some cases you could barely read what's written on them. At that time (Joseph Sanusi era) the CBN put pressure on banks to receive old naira notes and forward them to it for destruction (Nigerians were complaining that banks were rejecting old naira notes).

Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and the change

Then came Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. Professor Soludo gave a speech in which he complained that the CBN was spending too much money to destroy mutilated notes and print new ones. He complained about the way that Nigerians treated bank notes. He reminded people that it was illegal to mishandle currency notes and he said that he was going to propose an amendment to the law to ensure that people who mishandle naira notes were severely punished.

Adverts

The CBN then released adverts to educate Nigerians about naira notes. You might remember them. The adverts were very detailed and explained every single situation properly. I’m going to try and explain them from memory.

1) Spraying: Do you want to show appreciation to a musician? Don’t paste naira notes on his forehead (where they will react with his sweat), don’t allow it to drop to the floor and react with dirt, don’t allow people to step and dance on it.

Instead, put the money in an envelope and go up and give it to the musician.

2) Carrying money: Don’t put naira notes in your bra where they will react with your sweat. Don’t squeeze naira notes and stuff them in your pockets. Get a wallet and put them neatly in the wallet.

3) Trading: Are you a trader/hawker? Don’t squeeze naira notes, don’t stuff them in your wrapper/pockets. Get a waist pouch and place them neatly in the pouch. Ensure that your hands are clean before you handle the naira. Don’t get blood or other liquids on the naira.

4) Church: Don’t squeeze naira notes into the collection box/basket. Put them in an envelope and place them neatly into the box/basket.

5) Selling change: Don’t sell naira notes. It is an offence. (Some people sell lower denomination notes [aka change] at parties, so that people will have money to spray).

6) Writing: Do you want to make calculations and write down important things? Don’t write on the naira, get a notepad.

All these scenarios were dramatised in the adverts (I’m sure that I have forgotten some of them).

The CBN said that the naira was a national symbol and people must treat it with respect.

Polymer notes:

You might remember that this was also one of the reasons that Professor Soludo introduced polymer notes. It was said that the polymer (plastic) notes would not get torn and would not absorb liquids as easily as the paper notes. It was also more difficult to write on the plastic notes.

Enforcement

The CBN act was amended to include jail terms for people who mishandle naira notes.

However, on one hand, some people expressed scepticism. Would the Central Bank go to all parties at weekends to arrest people that were spraying and selling change? They said that it was impossible to enforce.

On the other hand, some bloggers and rumour mongers created scare stories about policemen invading parties and arresting people.

Flagrancy

As stated above, the CBN/EFCC/ICPC cannot go to all parties every weekend and arrest every single person that sprays or sells money. They can’t arrest everybody that puts naira notes in their bra or stuffs them in their pocket.

Yet many people have been arrested and prosecuted for committing these offences in the past 17 years. How come?

Bobrisky was arraigned on a three count charge, that means he committed the offence 3 times, why wasn’t he arrested after the first or second time and why was he arrested after the third time? In fact, some people who follow these kind of events say that Bobrisky has sprayed money on more than 3 occasions. Why wasn’t he arrested all the other times? I’ll tell you what happened.

A movie producer wanted maximum publicity for her movie and she figured out a way to get it. Bobrisky was invited to the movie premiere and given an award for being the best dressed woman at the event. As expected, this caused an uproar.

The issue trended for a full week. There were many pictures, videos, stories and opinions about the incident. Many of them graced Nairaland’s homepage. The movie producer had gotten the publicity that she wanted.

In fact, the backlash was so great that the producer had to eventually admit that it was a publicity stunt (my friend had said that it was a publicity stunt right from when the first story broke).

Among the videos that trended for a week was a video of Bobrisky spraying money at the event. There was no way that it would not catch the attention of the EFCC.

A lot of people have been arrested and prosecuted for these offences in the past 17 years and if you look at them you’ll notice that they were all fragrant violations of the law.

A1) A Chinese man got angry at the Murtala Muhammed Airport and he tore over three thousand naira worth of notes right in front of security agents (Immigration, Customs, SSS). He was arrested by the SSS and handed over to the EFCC. He was prosecuted and sentenced to 2 years in jail.

https://www.efcc.gov.ng/efcc/news-and-information/news-release/8080-court-jails-chinese-two-years-for-naira-mutilation

Another actress was spraying money at an event and the video went viral. This was at a time that the government was very sensitive about the notes because they had just been redesigned and were scarce. Of course she was arrested and prosecuted.

https://www.nairaland.com/7553630/efcc-arrests-oluwadarasimi-omoseyin-over

A man became famous for creating jewelry made of naira and kobo coins. That fame was his problem. Of course he was arrested.

https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2023/5/currency-mutilation-man-jailed-for-using-nigerian-coins-to-make-jewelry-2.html

There were also some people that were selling new naira notes at a party in Ilorin at a time when the notes had been redesigned and were scarce. They were also arrested.


So as you can see and as you will see when I share more articles and stories, many people have been arrested and prosecuted for breaking this law before Bobrisky was arrested.

I can recall the CBN campaign against the abuse of the naira from 1990/1. Fun times...everyone suddenly was watching their steps...

Even then, Nigerians still haven't learned.

Most of us are guilty in one way or the other of abusing the Naira. Prosecution is often difficult except for those, especially celebrities who showcase the act on Social Media.

OP, spraying of naira or whatever currency is centuries old. It is part of our culture or society. Dem born us meet am. Dem born our papa papa meet am. It did not find its origin in the 1980. Please make a proper research.

Toh

The law should also be applicable to the politicians, na Dem dey abuse Naira pass

It has tayed


Nice

Is your Vocabulary good?
Do you enjoying Chatting into the far night.
Do you like helping people with enquiries.
If yes their's a business you can venture into that will pay you well for these qualities.
Send a message to

moneyvirtual74@gmail.com

Lol I don't even know why people can't even live without cash in this a modern age....

Transfer will give u alot of rest of mind nd not even cast u to the people around....



Drum wey get Water no dey make noise....

Hh

Tinubu spraying nko?

We are who we are.
It's a law meant to ridicule a class of people.
It's the Animal Farm (George Orwell).

Too bad Bobrisky was the scape goat to all these

Do people spray coins too then. Maybe we should go back to using coins.

Okies.


Let's check it out.

Ok. They should arrest Ganduje for spraying money at adoration ground

Nice

Same fools that praised Mahmoud for violating the electoral act of 2022 are now in support of EFCC who have left their primary job of prosecution of corrupt politicians to arresting Nigerians who spray money in occasions . Agbados are feeling pains from the ways igbos are displaying wealth while tinubu is starving them inspite of all the baseless empty hope they placed on tinubu

The law is being implemented for the sake of some poor mobs who can't stand the guts of affluence. You can't convince me otherwise. Spraying money is one of the least causes of currency notes wear and tear. Most people applauding this witch-hunt squeeze and write on Naira notes which is also as criminal as spraying. Spraying is almost a culture. It's the reason polymer note was introduced.

When this law is fully implemented, those in power will be affected and poor people will also be roped in. Then, the likes of Cubana will upgrade to spraying pounds and Dollar without harm.

Spraying of Naira has now become a culture in Nigeria. It is hard to eradicate.

It is part of what we do to honor people we love when they are celebrating or having a party.

Everyone of us, at some point must have sprayed or have been sprayed on.

In fact spraying money is a worldwide culture across the world. Americans and Europeans go to club and spray dollars, pounds and Euro on strippers. They spray it on their friends too when they are happy.

The govt should focus their energy on strengthening the Naira. Spraying does not determine the value of any currency. Let them leave us alone.

If they must flex their muscle, let them start with politicians. They are the ones who spray the most at parties.

helinues:
Toh

The law should also be applicable to the politicians, na Dem dey abuse Naira pass

Do you want me to give you money that you can spray?

OKAY NOTED

WHAT ABOUT COINS SPRAYING

Na to dey spray 1$ like they do in the abroad.

There are many laws lying fallow without being implemented. Any day government remember to prove they are in charge they implement.

You know there is a law that says if you are carrying up to N10,000 you need police escort.

Government have a point, it's a waste of money to frequently print new bills, due to bad handling.