In an effort to ease the suffering of lawyers and litigants filing Court processes at the Lagos State Judicial Registries, the State Chief Judge, Kazeem Alogba, says the public are now free to make payments to the registries through physical cash, electronic transfer and Point-of-Sale, PoS machines.
Justice Alogba made the announcement, on Thursday, in a statement signed by the acting Chief Registrar, Tajudeen Elias.
He assured that the State Judiciary is an integral part of the Nigerian Judiciary and holds tenaciously to the due administration of justice and the rule of law generally.
The Chief Judge however advised all court users to make use of existing electronic platforms for payments whilst the development was being dealt with.
Business activities at the various Court Registries in the State had earlier been grounded, following the refusal of Court Officials to receive old Naira notes from litigants and lawyers, owing to the rejection of the old currency by their official bank, Polaris, as legal tender.
Specifically, the account officials at the Ikeja High Court Registry, who pleaded to be anonymous, said attempts to pay-in the old notes collected by them into the government account was denied by Polaris Bank.
She noted that they have since been directed by their boss to stop collecting old notes, adding that lawyers and litigants are now expected to come with new Naira notes, as the old currency are no longer acceptable.
The Official further noted to that the only currency acceptable for filing of Court processes in the Lagos Judiciary Registries are the new Naira notes.
One of the affected lawyers, who declined to mention his name, confirmed that the Lagos Judiciary Registry at the Osborne Division of the State also rejected the old note and turned him back from filling his process.
He affirmed that the problem is obviously not the judiciary official, but the CBN governor, who is visiting anarchy on the nation by jettison the Supreme Court order.
“Non acceptance of old Naira notes would be catastrophe to the nation. The highest court in the land, Supreme Court order is being flouted with impunity. It is obvious the CBN, especially Governor, Godwin Emefiele is ready to impose a state of anarchy on Nigeria by directing banks against the order of the Apex Court.”