On December 30, 2021, in Ehime Mbano, Imo State, Chima Matthew Amadi, now declaring his intention to run for the governorship of our state, was caught on video desecrating the national currency. He sprayed naira notes recklessly, trampled and danced upon them in a shameful public display, and even mocked the very people whose economic pains he ought to empathize with. This action was not just indecent; it was criminal. That the same man now parades himself as a prospective governor makes this episode even more alarming.

The Central Bank of Nigeria Act (2007) is unequivocal on this matter. Section 21(1) of the Act prohibits the abuse of the naira and prescribes penalties, including imprisonment, for offenders. Spraying, writing on, squeezing, and mutilating the national currency are crimes punishable under Nigerian law.

Chima Amadi’s conduct, therefore, was not a trivial misbehavior at a social gathering. It was a direct affront to our laws, a slap on the face of national symbols, and an insult to all citizens who struggle daily to earn and preserve the little they have.

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Leadership is, first and foremost, about character. A man who treats the naira, the lifeblood of our economy, with such disdain demonstrates an absence of discipline, respect, and self-control. How then can such a man be trusted with the management of an entire state’s treasury? If he could so brazenly abuse the national currency in public, what assurance can Imo people have that he would respect the rule of law and uphold fiscal responsibility as governor?

Beyond the law, there is also morality. We live in a decent state where citizens work very hard for daily bread. Many work two jobs to afford three meals a day. Yet, in the midst of such, Chima Amadi chose to display wealth with reckless abandon, mocking the struggles of the people by dancing upon and flaunting what they struggle to earn. Such behavior reveals a troubling disconnect from reality and a dangerous arrogance that must not be rewarded with power.

 

The law must not be selective. We cannot pretend to fight corruption and social decay while excusing those who openly violate statutes because they have political ambitions. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigerian Police Force must immediately investigate and prosecute this matter. Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done, to remind all Nigerians that no one is above the law.

 

Those who aspire to govern us must be subjected to higher moral and legal standards. Imo State cannot afford to be led by individuals who trivialize the law and ridicule the symbols of our nationhood. A governor must embody restraint, accountability, and respect for the people and their institutions. By his actions, Chima Amadi has proven himself unworthy of that sacred trust.

The future of Imo State is too important to be entrusted to men who cannot govern themselves. This incident of naira abuse, though just one among many documented instances of misconduct, is sufficient to disqualify Amadi from any serious leadership consideration. We cannot normalize illegality, nor can we lower the moral bar for those who seek to lead us.

 

In the end, this is about more than naira notes. It is about the values we cherish as a people and the kind of leadership we desire. To ignore this crime is to endorse impunity. To prosecute it is to reaffirm our collective resolve that law, decency, and integrity must always come before ambition.

Imo State deserves better. Nigeria deserves better. And the law demands better.

 

Paulinus Ibeh