Removal of Arabic from the 100 Naira Note by Abdul Jari

   The recent slide modification on 100 naira currency note which was the first currency ever to be produced locally in Nigeria has on it been removed the Arabic writing in Hausa language (Ajami as it is called in Hausa language) that read "Naira Dari" on it. Just like the 200 naira notes and above, the former 100 use to have the Arabic - Hausa. Writing on the left lower part of the note.
   It will be recalled that in 2009 when the lower paper denominations notes of naira where changed to polymer, the Ajami Hausa-Arabic writing was removed for no reason. The nature at which the Ajami was removed was also controversial and ill termed.
   Some argue  that the Ajami writing was a symbol of religion of Islam, and that Nigeria is a circular country that needs not to show any religious identity on its currency. But if that is the case, why do we have English writing? Why is it that there are Hausa, Yaruba and Igbo languages on the currency? Is it that Nigeria belongs to these three tribes?
   The Ajami writing was purposely meant to enable Hausa and other tribes that learned Arabic long before English  to read the currency for easy understanding. As English came to Nigeria through the South, so did Arabic came to Nigeria through the North.
    I want to call on  Nigeria government and all Its ministries, departments and agencies, to please always study something critically before implementing it. Government programs are suppose to be good, important and popularly accepted by the people.