Gambian Economist Morro Gaye has said that ex-President ghost refused to join in him exile, stressing that his face continues to feature on the country currency nottes almost six months after being replaced by the central bank.
“Is this a Mockery Of Our Never A/gain Mantra?”, he asked saying that 21st January, 2020 marks exactly three years since ex-Yaya Jammeh was flown out ignominiously into exile to Equatorial Guinea and yet Gambians continue to have his face on country currency notes still in circulation despite being replaced by a new ‘family’ notes almost six months ago.
He added: “ These new notes were presented to President Barrow prior to being released to the public on August 6, 2020.
Gambia’s first president Dawda Jawara, for printing notes with his face on it. Years on, he also had his face on the dalasi.”
The Economist pointed out that it is slap on the face of those who endured sustained brutality under his rule to contiue seeing his head on The Gambia’s currencies.
“For them it is a constant reminder of the dark history of dictatorial rule that we all went through under a very repressive regime that almost touched the lives of the entire Gambians in a very painful manner,” he said.
According to Gaye while some people still yearn for his return to the country, the gradual phasing out of the old notes with his portraits should be expedited and replaced immediately without further delay if Gambians want to do justice to his many victims.
“Our new democracy will only be complete if we rid ourselves from any forms of Jammeh’s vestiges of power. The last one that keeps reminding us of those torturous periods is the continous display of his face in our currency notes which the central bank is still maintaining in circulation,” Gaye noted.
He added: “Right now there are more currency notes with the face of Jammeh in circulation than those new ones having the image of one of our national birds. The CFA is being replaced by the ECO later this year.The time period envisaged is far shorter than the three years ( still counting )it is taking to replace Yaya Jammeh’s face from all our currency notes. We want a family of currency note without the face of Jammeh NOW!”
Gaye stressed that maintaining Jammeh’s face on the D10, D20, D50, D100 and D200 notes can not win elections for any politician.
“Remember his name and picture were on the ballot box in the 2016 Presdiential election in which he was mercilessly defeated. The message was clear- Gambians don’t want to have anything to do with Yaya Jammeh and his ghost anymore,” he said Never Again!!!
