“That’s My Mother, Not Theodosia Okoh” – Relative Exposes Major Portrait Mix-Up on New GH¢50 Banknote

A family member of Theodosia Salome Okoh, the celebrated designer of Ghana’s national flag, has called out the Bank of Ghana over what he describes as a major blunder on the newly launched GH¢50 banknote, asserting that the portrait printed on the currency belongs to his mother rather than his famous aunt.

Dr. Eddie Obeng, nephew of the late Theodosia Okoh, sparked widespread public reaction after sharing front and back images of the new GH¢50 note on LinkedIn. The banknote forms part of the Heritage Series officially unveiled in Accra on Thursday, November 12, 2026, by President John Dramani Mahama and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama.

Although the central bank dedicated the GH¢50 denomination to honoring Theodosia Okoh—who created Ghana’s iconic red, gold, and green flag featuring the black star in 1957—Dr. Obeng stated that upon inspecting the note, he immediately recognized the face of his mother, Dr. Letitia Obeng. A sister to Theodosia Okoh, Dr. Letitia Obeng holds the historic distinction of being Ghana’s first female scientist and the first Ghanaian woman to earn a PhD.

Recounting his surprise online, Dr. Obeng noted that he had initially felt immense pride upon hearing that his aunt was being honored on the new currency and had even started drafting a congratulatory message to his cousin before realizing the portrait was actually that of his mother. Screenshots of his post have since gone viral across social media platforms.

The controversy has amplified earlier criticism from Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who faulted the Bank of Ghana and the government for getting such a critical national exercise wrong. Afenyo-Markin accused the administration of rushing the currency redesign out of a desire to erase the Big Six from Ghana’s history, arguing that such haste led to the embarrassment of placing the wrong face beside Theodosia Okoh’s name and reflected broader carelessness in handling national symbols.

While the Bank of Ghana as an institution has yet to issue a formal statement addressing the claims, Presidential Staffer and Bank of Ghana Board member Beatrice Annan has pushed back on Facebook. According to Annan, the image on the GH¢50 note is not a mistake, but rather an engraved artistic impression of Theodosia Okoh created by merging three separate photographs of her, with her hairstyle modified to suit banknote engraving standards.

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