Ambassador Arikana Chihombori- Quao was relieved from
her job in 2019 for exposing France’s continuous supervision of its
former colonies monetary policies. She shocked the world by revealing 50
-80% of the West African Economic and Monetary Union’s bank reserves
were domiciled in the French Central Bank due to the Pact for the
Continuation of Colonization these African countries were forced to sign
over a century ago.
In an interview on The Osasu Show with Osasu Igbinedion,
the former Ambassador said there has been no action taken since
December 2019 when President Macron proclaimed that its former colonies
in West Africa, particularly Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Cote
D’ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo will no longer be forced to use the
CFA Franc.
“Action speaks louder than words” she said. “Since
President Macron made that proclamation I have not heard anything yet
that says the Head of States are no longer required to deposit their
reserves in the French central bank. It is one thing to make that
declaration and it is another thing to actualize it. Until I see it
written on paper, it is just words coming from President Macron.”
Osasu Igbinedion, Host of The Osasu Show, interrogated
her on home grown polices that can help in repositioning Africa.
Ambassador Arikana responded, “Until we understand what happened in
Berlin Conference held in November 1884 to 1885, we will not understand
what is happening today. [...] 136 years later, a strategy that was put
in place to intentionally brake us up into tiny little economies that
cannot survive is still in place today. How can Djibouti go to the world
stage and compete next to the United States and India and you expect it
to stand? Until Africa comes together as a continent and speak in one
voice we will continue chasing out tails. When we are united, nobody can
mess with us but to deal with these issues on a national level, it is
never going to work and that is what they want.”
No comments:
Post a Comment