The handling of national currecies

HOW GHANA’S CURRENCY NOTES ARE MISHANDLED

Ghanaians tear currency notes

Somehow the currency notes in Ghana get torn. Nobody is able to tell exactly how this happens. Some traditions have it that when one does not tear a piece of the note away, witches would take the lot away leaving one with nothing. Some notes even get torn into two, right in the middle.

Using glue or cello tapes to mend torn notes

Some of these torn cedi notes need to be mended before others could accept it as a medium of exchange. In order to do so, some individuals use different kinds of bonding agents like cello-tape to repair them. This activity renders the cedi notes out of shape.

Inscribing on currency notes

It is a common practice to see Ghanaians write on the currency notes. Some citizens sign their signatures or calculate figures or write telephone numbers on it on the paper notes. This kinds of actions reduce the lifespan of the notes so that the nation is not able to derive the maximum benefit out of it.

Crumbling of currency notes

When one has the opportunity to count offerings in church one would see how most of the currency notes are crumbled before they are put in the offering bowl. market women in Ghana do not use purses or wallets so whatever currency notes are crumbled and stashed away. 

Soiling of banknotes

Another way in which Ghanaians mutilate the currency notes is that all kinds of chemicals are used to soil the notes. Dirty oil from the mechanic's table smears on the notes. Market women use their soiled hands, especially, fishmongers and those who sell palm oil. 

Folding of currency notes

Another practice that mutilates currency notes is their folding. Some individuals fold their note over and over again before stashing them away in their breast or back pockets. Women, for example, fold the notes several times before putting them inside their brassiere.

Currency notes as a handkerchief

At some public functions such as during concerts and dance performances, some people use currency notes to wipe the face of the performers or dancers before throwing them on the floor. In the course of the performances, these notes fall on the dusty ground or wet surfaces and some gets stepped on.

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