“Heritage Must Not Be Rewritten” — Musah Superior Slams Removal of Big Six From New Cedi Notes, Demands Restoration Under Future NPP Government
Story By: Deborah Adorsu
Former Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, Iddrisu Musah Superior, has described the removal of the Big Six from Ghana’s newly redesigned cedi notes as politically motivated, warning that the decision threatens the country’s collective heritage.
In a strongly worded opinion piece reacting to the Bank of Ghana’s new Heritage Series, unveiled on Thursday, November 12, 2026, Mr Musah Superior said national history must not be altered to suit the political preferences of any government in power.
Who Are The Big Six?
The Big Six are the six leading figures of Ghana’s independence struggle whose collective portrait has featured on Ghana’s banknotes for close to two decades:
- Dr Kwame Nkrumah
- J.B. Danquah
- Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
- Edward Akufo-Addo
- Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey
- William Ofori Atta
Under the new Heritage Series unveiled by President John Dramani Mahama and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Asiama, only Dr Nkrumah survives — alone on the GH¢200 note under the theme “Sovereignty.”
The other five have been replaced by new faces:
- 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 new notes enter circulation on December 1, 2026, while old notes remain legal tender.
“A Dangerous Precedent”
Mr Musah Superior argued that the decision raises a dangerous question: Are we building a political culture where each government redefines national symbols to reflect its own ideology
He called on the Bank of Ghana to provide adequate historical justification for departing from the established representation, insisting that currency redesign should not be used as a tool for partisan score-settling.
Call To Future NPP Government
Looking ahead, the former MCE said he would strongly advise the next New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to restore the traditional representation of the Big Six to Ghana’s currency.
He stressed, however, that such a restoration must not be an act of revenge.
Government Response
Government spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has dismissed the backlash as “sulking” driven by petty politics, arguing that “nobody owes anybody any permanent fixture on the currency” and that the Big Six “have had their day” after nearly 20 years on the notes.
The debate continues to split public opinion, with NPP supporters calling the removal an erasure of history, while NDC supporters say it is time for other national heroes to shine.