New GH¢50 Note: Eddie Obeng Claims Bank of Ghana Used His Mother’s Photo Instead of Theodosia Okoh’s

Questions have been raised over the newly unveiled Ghana Cedi Heritage Series after allegations emerged that the wrong photograph was used to represent Theodosia Salome Okoh, the renowned designer of Ghana’s national flag, on the GH¢50 banknote.

The controversy surfaced just hours after President John Dramani Mahama officially launched the redesigned currency series introduced by the Bank of Ghana.

The new banknotes feature eight distinguished personalities whose contributions have influenced Ghana’s history, culture and national development.

However, the portrait selected to honour Theodosia Okoh has come under scrutiny, with claims that the image actually belongs to another individual.

The issue was first brought to public attention by Dr Eddie Obeng, a Ghanaian academic reportedly related to Theodosia Okoh as her nephew.

In a LinkedIn post, Dr Obeng expressed amusement and disbelief after examining the newly introduced banknotes, alleging that the photograph used on the GH¢50 denomination was that of his mother rather than his aunt.

He explained that he initially felt proud upon learning that his aunt had been recognised on the new currency because of her contribution to Ghana’s national identity through the design of the national flag.

However, upon seeing the banknote, he claimed to have discovered that the portrait featured was actually that of his mother, who is recognised as Ghana’s first female PhD holder.

The development has since attracted political criticism, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin also questioning the accuracy of the photograph used on the GH¢50 note.

Afenyo-Markin criticised the government over what he described as a failure to properly verify the image before introducing the redesigned currency.

He further argued that the alleged error raised questions about the administration’s attention to detail and its ability to manage the national economy.

His remarks came after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

Speaking to journalists following the budget presentation, the Minority Leader accused the Mahama administration of rushing to remove the portraits of the Big Six from Ghana’s currency, suggesting that the haste contributed to the alleged misrepresentation of Theodosia Okoh.

He subsequently questioned how the government could be trusted with managing the economy if it had allegedly failed to ensure that the correct photograph was used to honour a prominent national figure on the country’s banknotes.

Meanwhile, former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has also weighed in on the controversy.

In a social media post on November 12, 2026, Anyidoho questioned whether the allegations were factual or merely politically motivated, indicating that he was struggling to understand the developments surrounding the disputed photograph.

Source: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Confusion-rocks-new-cedi-notes-after-alleged-use-of-wrong-photograph-of-Theodosia-Okoh-2061135

OurNews feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com