The Bank of Ghana on Thursday, May 3, launched specimen copies of the New Ghana Cedi notes and coins expected to come into circulation from July 1, or Republic Day. Since then, and following www.myjoyonilne.com publication of the bank notes, many of our readers have reacted variously, by way of comments. While some have rejected the designs as too shoddy, others have gone ahead to suggest several other ways the new notes could have been improved, including FRANK PREMPEH [maxykate@yahoo.com] who thought his creative design (above) would do better. Another group of readers have been amazed at the speed at which many have run to condemn the notes merely because there is too little colour differentiation between the various notes. Check out our publications on the launch of notes and coins at these links: http://www.myjoyonline.com/archives/business/200705/4180.asp and also http://www.myjoyonline.com/archives/photos/2007/4104.asp. Another regular visitor who signs his name as Adom in Accra, actually copied the following comments by some of our readers and resent it for publication to support his argument that as a nation, we talk too much. Read on. Re-denomination Can't we comment on any issue analytically and intelligently without insulting any one? GB has the picture of Admin Smith on the new currency. Is it that GB does not have pictures of any other contemporary great minds to put on their currency? In US, all the notes have one colour- are they not able to recognize each one of them? Note that there are illiterates in the US just as we have illiterates in Ghana. Why do we demean/debase the greatness in ourselves. Why do we think that the Ghanaian is such a "dunce" that he/she cannot distinguish the unique colours of the new notes. Let's stop the self destruction and move Ghana forward. The unique colours will make identification very easy. What I expected most Commentators to do was to talk about the handling of the notes so that it would remain crispy all year round. Because we are obsessed with self destruction we are approach issues with jaundiced ideas and are not able to find good ways/ideas of moving the country forward. Are we critizing because it's not coming from a certain political party of our liking? Please let's be Ghanaians. Good work so far. Posted By Kwadwo NATIONAL FLAG There is improvement in Kojo Krom. The next step for the economy to develop at a faster paste is the change of the colour of the star in the middle of the National and until that colour is changed, "God forbid the unforeseen" The Star in the middle of the National Flag show be the colours of the RAINBOW. AMEN Posted By PAA GRANT We are interesting people I have been reflecting on all the brouhaha on the redenomination, notably that there are so many illiterates in Ghana and cannot differentiate, etc. When these same illiterates travel to the UK, don’t they get used to the pound in a matter of days?! I am in Kenya now, and just checked: all the notes have the same design on the front: the picture of Jomo Kenyatta. Are we saying what is good for one African country is too superior for us? Ghanaians should learn to move forward and stop this self-debasement! Gh. Cedi: The Pictures Are The Same! It is now embarrassingly clear that Kuffour and his disciples derive orgasm from severe public insult and condemnation. And I tell you, we will not hesitate to excite them to orgasm. If Britain has the head of the queen on all their note (Pound), we should not just swallow that idea and use. We have over sixty percent of our citizens as illiterates who basically depend on the colour of the notes to differentiate. Do we have to be that low in mentality. The NPP gov just lacks basic self-confidence. As for the governor, I wonder... Posted By Ogyam, UK Kind of a lazy work The new notes look good, but a clear demonstration of a lazy or kind of abrupt work. A careful look at previous note, shillings to pounds does not show any closer design in any note like these ones. The bank of Ghana should sit back and redesign the reverse side of the notes. What about the sexy eyed president's face on one of the notes (or Rawlings' head rather?) Posted By Selorm Too much of Big six The Big 6 popularity campaign is simply overrated. We are sick and tired. No argument that the contributed in diverse ways to help the country, but when a complete foreigner picks up one of these notes what is there to represent the current Ghanaian people and culture - not much. A better alternative to this "Big Sixing" is to remember the cocoa farmer, the Ghanaian teacher, Ghanaian Cash crops, and such. These will make the citizenry identify with the notes more than a display of six western suited gentlemen. Posted By profkwame A little common sense would have been good A little common sense by our 'intelligent' leaders, would have made them know that the illiterates and the aged use the picture on a note to identify the denomination. the pictures on the currencies are almost the same. Consider the following options: If we really want to promote tourism, we can use pictures of some of the tourist sites in Ghana, Secondly, We could also use our mineral wealth like cocoa, timber, mining etc or a group of individuals in a busy market or farm. could it have been copied from the UK? Posted By Kwaku Buabeng Obasanjo for President in Ghana When will this (N)PP change and be objective. They will support 1966 coup and hate 1979 coup. They will celebrate coup anniversary with the first class dictator Eyadema and hate Rawlings. They will support apartheid South Africa and hate Nkrumah. They will name a street after Obasanjo will not like to mention Nkrumah’s name. They will preach unity in the day and plan evil in the night. They may prefer to have Obasanjo on the new cedi instead of JJ the Rawlings. Posted By Atwee FREE SPEECH HAS EXPOSED BRILLIANCE & STUPIDITY IN US. Sometimes I feel like crying for some comments some people make on issues, it becomes clear that because of free speech anybody writes anything which has no head or tail, I also some times read some comments which make me feel happy that I wish I know that person. Let us make good use of this meduim by sharing and discussing intelligent topics without insults or personal attacks, because this is the only way our nation can develop, from 1992-2000 it was the NDC which ruled Ghana, from 2001-2009 it is the NPP, we don't know yet which party would come to power in 2009 and beyond let us hope for the better for Ghana, again insults, abusive language and personal attacks won't help Ghana in anyway. Posted By K.Younghusband Passionate advice Joy Fm, are the people who comment on your stories educated? Don't you think most of the comments subject Ghana to international ridicule? Is the leadership of Joy FM interested in allowing uneducated and uncivilized comments that insults leaders, chiefs, and any hardworking Ghanaian? Is any public official a thief, cocaine dealer, etc? Do the people really know the likely implications of their comments? Do they reflect on how Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire war started? Please Joy FM you have a responsibility to save Ghana! There is no single day that people who comment on your stories fail to insult either the president, ministers, MPs, Otumfuo, Atta Mills, Rawlings, Professors, etc. Most of the people who are victims of these insults are people are people who toiled in through the educational system to become what they are in society today! Sadly, the "pull him down" people who insult every positive thing about the country are people who opted for quick income instead of education. Posted By Omanba – Diaspora Big 6 The NPP's attempt to rewrite Ghana's history is nothing short of sickening. This is the same Big 6 who kicked Nkrumah out of the UGCC, who protested to the Queen that Ghana was not ready for independence. Kufuor gave them the most credit in his jubilee speech and they are outright lies. What is this attempt to teach our children the wrong political history of our country? What about those who were imprisoned, beaten, persecuted in our independence struggle- Botsio Gbedemah et al? What happened to the beautiful image of Nkrumah and these people at the podium in batakaris as independence was declared. Why is the government trying to foist the image of the glamorously suited Big 6 (minus Nkrumah) who opposed independence AS the image of independence. Even if you will not use the true fathers of independence at least, Kufuor, use our hardworking farmers, miners, and yes, strong and exemplary women. Tell the truth so you will be judged and honored in truth when you are out of power. Shame on you, Kufuor- I was your ardent supporter but nothing but disgust fills me now. Who was consulted about the design choice. Have we no stake at all in these decisions? So much for Ghanaian democracy and wanting to come back home. Ugh! Posted By Indignant patriot