Why the Bank of Ghana’s Response to the New 50 Cedi Note Controversy Is Being Criticised

The Bank of Ghana recently announced new Cedi banknotes set to be released on December 1, 2026, and one of them – the 50 Cedi note – features the image of Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh, the woman who designed Ghana’s national flag. However, when the prototype appeared on social media, many Ghanaians and even Mrs Okoh’s family pointed out that the image on the note does not look like her. This sparked a huge conversation online, and the Bank of Ghana responded with a press statement on the night of November 13, 2026, to “clarify” the matter. Now, a communications expert and journalist has shared his thoughts on how the Bank handled the situation, and his analysis offers useful lessons for any organisation that has to respond to public criticism.

According to the writer, the Bank of Ghana’s statement read more like an attempt to defend its decision than an effort to rebuild public trust. He explains that the public is not upset about how banknotes are technically produced – they are upset about whether the image truly represents Mrs Okoh, a woman whose contribution to Ghana’s identity is being celebrated. The statement, however, focused heavily on explaining the technical processes involved in printing the note, instead of directly addressing the accuracy of the portrait, showing empathy to the family, or explaining what the Bank plans to do to fix the problem. The writer notes that in public relations, before responding to a crisis, an organisation must correctly identify what the crisis is actually about – and in this case, the Bank seems to have missed that.

One of the main issues the writer raises is that the Bank never apologised. The title of the statement, “Clarification on the Portrait of Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh,” already put the Bank on the defensive, as if the public simply misunderstood something. The opening paragraph did not acknowledge the disappointment of the family or the public, and there was no expression of regret. The writer argues that an apology is not an admission of malice – it is simply an acknowledgement that something went wrong or caused harm. He suggests that the Bank could have said something like, “We acknowledge the concerns raised by the family and the public and regret the distress this situation has caused,” before going on to explain the facts. In a crisis, he stresses, empathy must come before self-defence.

The writer also questions some of the specific wording in the statement. For example, the Bank explained that adjustments, including replacing Mrs Okoh’s familiar head-tie with a different hairstyle, were made to meet “technical and security requirements” – but the writer asks how changing a woman’s head-tie becomes necessary for security reasons, and whether the family was consulted before the final portrait was approved. He also criticises the phrase “perceived differences,” saying it subtly shifts blame onto the public’s eyes rather than taking responsibility for the inaccurate portrait. Similarly, the Bank said it appreciates the family’s “constructive engagement,” but the writer asks why the Bank did not engage the family from the beginning, since meaningful consultation should be part of the process when celebrating a national icon’s legacy – not something that starts only after public outrage.

Finally, the writer points out that while the Bank reaffirmed its commitment to representing distinguished personalities “with dignity and respect,” the statement contained no clear action plan – no mention of reviewing the portrait, engaging the family, or introducing a verification process for future banknotes. He concludes that a commitment without action is just a declaration of good intentions. His overall message is that communications departments exist not just to protect an organisation’s image, but to build and restore relationships with the people they serve – and sometimes, that means admitting when the organisation got something wrong. As he puts it at the end, “Nyame nyira Ghana ne biaa” – God bless Ghana and all of us.

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