The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has come under intense criticism following an apparent mix-up involving the portrait on its newly unveiled GH¢50 Heritage Series banknote.
The controversy centres on the photograph used to honour the late Theodosia Salome Okoh, designer of Ghana’s national flag, which reportedly appears to be that of her younger sister, Dr Letitia Eva Takyi-bea Obeng.
The apparent error, which surfaced the day the unveiling of the redesigned currency on Thursday, November 12, was brought to public attention by internationally acclaimed Ghanaian-born educator and business consultant, Professor Eddie Obeng, who identified the woman in the portrait as his mother.
In a LinkedIn post, Professor Obeng recounted his surprise at discovering that the Bank of Ghana had apparently used his mother’s photograph instead of that of his aunt, Theodosia Okoh, whom the note was intended to honour.
“I have a wry smile on my face that won’t go away, and occasionally I shake my head or giggle,” he said.
He explained that he had initially welcomed the news of his aunt’s recognition on one of Ghana’s newly issued banknotes.
“So, I heard this morning that my aunt had been honoured in a new series of issued banknotes for Ghana — she’s famous there for designing the country’s flag after independence from Britain. I was very proud and began composing a message to my cousin,” he added.
However, his excitement turned to surprise when he realised that the portrait on the note appeared to be that of his mother rather than his aunt.
“Imagine my surprise when I took a look and realised that they have used a picture of my mother instead. She is famous for being the country’s first lady PhD,” he stated.
Theodosia Okoh, who passed away in 2015, is celebrated for designing Ghana’s national flag, which features the iconic red, gold and green horizontal stripes with a black star at the centre.
Her younger sister, Dr Letitia Obeng, was also a distinguished Ghanaian scientist, widely recognised as the first Ghanaian woman to obtain a doctorate.
The apparent mix-up between the two accomplished sisters has since triggered questions about the Bank of Ghana’s verification procedures and the historical accuracy of the portraits selected for the new currency.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has also criticised the BoG and the government over the development, accusing them of failing to properly verify the photograph and questioning the diligence behind the exercise.
“They were in haste to erase the Big Six from our currency and history. Out of that haste and hate, we saw them outdooring a new GHS 50 note bearing the name of Theodosia Oko. But they got her picture wrong and placed on the GHS 50 note a different face,” he stated.
The development has raised concerns about the credibility of the Bank of Ghana’s Heritage Series, which seeks to recognise prominent Ghanaians whose contributions have left a lasting mark on the country’s political, economic, scientific and cultural history.
Source: Abigail Ekua Arhin
