“Come And Explain” — Minority Summons BoG Governor Asiama Over New Cedi Notes And Wrong-Face Storm On GH¢50
Story By: Deborah Adorsu
The Minority in Parliament has demanded that the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Johnson Asiama, appear before Parliament to explain the controversial redesign of Ghana’s cedi notes, following claims that the portrait on the new GH¢50 note is not that of Theodosia Salome Okoh.
The demand was made at a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, November 13, 2026, during the Minority’s response to the 2027 Budget Statement presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
Leading the charge, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee and MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said Parliament was kept in the dark throughout the entire currency change process.
What The Minority Wants
The Minority is demanding that the BoG provide:
- The full due diligence report on the selection and approval of all personalities and images on the new Heritage Series
- The names of those who approved the final designs
- The total cost of the redesign exercise
- The cost of reprinting any notes found to contain errors
- An explanation for the alleged misrepresentation of identities, especially on the GH¢50 note
The GH¢50 Controversy
The Bank of Ghana unveiled the new Cedi Heritage Series on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at Bank Square, Accra.
The notes are set to enter circulation on December 1, 2026, and will circulate alongside the old notes, which remain legal tender.
The GH¢50 note is dedicated to Theodosia Salome Okoh, designer of Ghana’s national flag in 1957.
But hours after the unveiling, her nephew, Prof. Eddie Obeng, raised alarm on LinkedIn, claiming the face on the note is not his aunt, but his mother, Dr Letitia Obeng.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin seized on the claim:
What BoG Says
The Bank of Ghana has not yet issued a formal statement, but a Presidential Staffer and BoG Board Member, Beatrice Annan, has defended the portrait.
She explained that a banknote portrait is not an ordinary photograph, but an engraved artistic rendering created to meet strict technical requirements.
According to her, the Bank worked from three authentic photographs of Mrs Okoh — two from her younger years and one from later life — which were merged to create a single portrait presenting her as a mature woman.
The BoG has also said it will engage the family directly.
The Bigger Fight:
The portrait row has deepened the wider fight over the removal of the Big Six from the currency.
Under the new series, only Dr Kwame Nkrumah remains — alone on the GH¢200 note.
The new line-up is:
- GH¢1 – Agnes Oforiwa Tagoe-Quarcoopome
- GH¢2 – Cardinal Peter Porekuu Dery
- GH¢5 – James Kwegyir-Aggrey
- GH¢10 – Justice Annie Jiagge
- GH¢20 – Dr Ephraim Amu
- GH¢50 – Theodosia Okoh
- GH¢100 – Kofi Annan
- GH¢200 – Kwame Nkrumah
The Minority says the rush to erase the Big Six is what led to the errors, and has vowed to keep pushing until the Governor appears before the House.