Come And Explain Yourself To Ghanaians—Minority Drag Bank Of Ghana To Parliament Over New Cedi Notes

Ghana’s new cedi notes are in trouble. And now, Parliament wants answers.

The Minority in Parliament has demanded that the Bank of Ghana appear before Parliament to explain the circumstances surrounding the introduction of the new cedi banknotes. They want to know why our money was changed, how much it cost, and why some of the faces on the notes are wrong.

This is not a small matter. This is about Ghana’s money. This is about Ghana’s image. This is about the faces of our heroes.

On November 12, the Bank of Ghana unveiled the new Heritage Series banknotes. The new notes replaced the Big Six and introduced new heroes. But almost immediately, Ghanaians started asking questions.

One of the biggest concerns relates to the photograph used to represent Theodosia Salomey Okoh, designer of Ghana’s national flag. Many Ghanaians say the face on the note does not look like her. The Bank of Ghana has indicated that it will engage her family over the concerns and work towards addressing the issue.

But the Minority says that is not enough. If a mistake was made, who made it? How did it happen? And how much will it cost Ghana to reprint the notes?

Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on the 2027 Budget, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee and Ofoase-Ayirebi MP, Kojo zipping Nkrumah, said the central bank must account to Parliament for such a significant exercise.

He said parliamentary committees responsible for oversight of the Bank of Ghana had not been adequately involved in the process.

In his own words, Parliament, unfortunately, the committees of Parliament that exercise oversight on the Bank of Ghana, like our Committee on Economy and Development, have no idea what they are doing when it comes to the new currency.

Let that sink in. The committee that is supposed to watch over the Bank of Ghana was not involved. The people who are supposed to ask questions on behalf of Ghanaians were left in the dark.

Oppong Nkrumah asked four big questions that Ghanaians are also asking.

What are the technical reasons for which our currency is being changed? How much has this exercise cost us? How do they respond to the misrepresentations of identities on the face of some of the notes that they have presented? What will it cost us to reprint those notes on which identities have been misrepresented?

These are simple questions. But they need honest answers.

If Ghana is going to spend millions to print new money, Ghanaians deserve to know why. If Ghana is going to spend millions again to reprint notes with wrong faces, Ghanaians deserve to know who will pay.

A cedi note is not just paper. It carries the face of Ghana to the world. When a foreigner holds our money, he sees our history. When a child holds our money, she learns our heroes.

To put a wrong face on our money is to tell a wrong story about Ghana.

That is why the Minority wants the Bank of Ghana to come to Parliament, bring the documents, explain the design decisions, and tell Ghanaians the full truth.

Ghana is watching. The Bank of Ghana must come and explain.

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