UPLIFTING A LOCAL BRAND: GAMBIA TO SHELVE ENGLISH FOR MOTHER-TONGUE

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By Ayomide Oriade

uganda president

Gambia president, Yahya Jammeh has been running a brand of government based on policies that are in sharp contrast with western ideologies in recent months.  The latest of such is the announcement that he wants to implement a policy change that would shift the country’s language from English to a local language.

Jammeh who spoke at the swearing-in ceremony of Gambia’s new Chief Justices on Friday said the country no longer belief that English language should be paramount in the running of its official activities. “we no longer subscribe to the belief that for you to be a government you should speak English language,” he said.

This is coming months after the West African country announced it is withdrawing from the Commonwealth, a collection of 54 nations made up largely of former British colonies. Gambia also recently signed the anti-guy bill into law, a development which has led to delay of health aid to the country by the World Bank. Jammeh recently criticized Western countries saying they have no “moral platform” to talk about human rights.

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