Event hosts/money changers
An actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, got more than she bargained for when she was arrested by men of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission some weeks ago after a video of her spraying and stepping on the new Naira notes went viral on the Internet. Though spraying money is a common feature in many events in Nigeria, the government has always frowned at it.
Omoseyin was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos State, and she was charged with the alleged tampering and spraying of the redesigned naira notes. However, after spending some time in detention, she was admitted to bail to the tune of N5m.
Meanwhile, money changers who are a fixture at major event centres and parties are also feeling the heat, as their means of livelihood is being threatened with the new development. With the naira now a scarce commodity, they are unable to get new notes to sell to customers.
However, many events host have had to get creative to adapt to the ‘new normal’. In many parties these days, people now design their own cash/voucher, which is sprayed at events. The people who sprayed the designed ‘currency’ then transfer money to the event hosts, musicians or other people they sprayed at parties.
A controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, recently cried out on social media after he was sprayed with the cash voucher at a an event.
However, the Association of Professional Party Organisers and Event Managers of Nigeria stated that the cash vouchers was an innovative way of obeying the law, while maintaining the longstanding culture of spraying money at the typical ‘owambe’ events.
According to them, party guests can buy the voucher equivalent of the cash they intended to ‘spray’ at the event, and transfer to the recipients.
A post on the association’s social media page read in part, “Please note that this is not money in any way. It is tagged, ‘event currency’ or ‘party props’.”
Musicians
A juju musician and band leader, Abiodun Awesola, aka Abbey Awesome, who performs at parties and nightclubs also told our correspondent that the naira scarcity was affecting his business.
He said, “I perform at different events, and we get sprayed very well. I have many fans who always want to appreciate us. But, with the current situation, we don’t make money from spraying anymore.
“My fans that usually sprayed N100,000 and more now prefer to do transfers and when they do, it is usually around N20,000. It is really affecting me, because things are not going as smoothly as before.”
Sellers of money cakes and bouquets
People who organise surprises and sell money bouquets and ‘cakes’ are also bearing the brunt of the current situation. With the new notes not in adequate supply, it is almost impossible to get such bouquets.
Recently, a man complained that he paid a vendor to deliver a money bouquet to his lover on Valentine’s Day. However, to his surprise, the vendor packed tattered and smelly N200 notes.
Speaking on how it had affected their business, the founder of AT&T Surprise and Gift Items, Abolaji Olabisi, said, “Because of the scarcity of cash in the country, the number of people ordering for money bouquets and ‘cakes’ has reduced. Even if we engaged to stage a surprise, there is nowhere to get cash for the money bouquet. The only things people order for now are just flowers and teddy bears.
“Before now, I used to get between two to four jobs per day, but in recent times, I have not been engaged by any client. It is really affecting my business.”
Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria had, on February 10, 2023, reiterated that packaging money bouquets and money cakes were forms of naira abuse. According to Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, anyone found guilty of this offence is liable to six months imprisonment or a fine of N50,000.a
