Whose face is on the new GH¢50? Okoh relative, Minority dispute portrait; BoG board member defends it

A nephew of flag designer Theodosia Okoh, Prof Eddie Obeng, has suggested in a LinkedIn post that the portrait on the new GH¢50 note resembles his mother, Dr Letitia Obeng, Mrs Okoh's sister, MyJoyOnline reports.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the government 'got her picture wrong'. Bank of Ghana board member Beatrice Annan said on Facebook that the Bank used three authentic photographs of Mrs Okoh to create one engraved portrait, and is engaging the family. The Bank has not issued a formal statement.

What the nephew said

According to MyJoyOnline, Prof Obeng said he was surprised after examining the new note and suggested that a photograph of his mother might have been used. Yen.com.gh also reported the claim. GhEcho has not seen the LinkedIn post itself and has not independently established whose face appears on the note.

Minority Leader's criticism

Speaking to journalists after the 2027 Budget was presented on Thursday, Afenyo-Markin said: "They were in haste to erase the Big Six from our currency and our history," adding that "they got her picture wrong and placed a different face on the GH¢50 note," Citi Newsroom reported.

"So a whole government machinery that cannot be diligent enough to get the right picture to put on our currency, how can we trust them with our economy?" he asked, according to Citi Newsroom.

Board member's explanation

In a Facebook post on Thursday, November 12, Annan said the Bank worked with two photographs from Mrs Okoh's younger years and one from later in her life to produce a single image of her as a mature woman, MyJoyOnline reports.

She said banknote portraits need sharpness, good lighting and fine detail to allow engraved printing and security features, and that the hairstyle was adjusted to reflect the family's preferred style. "The aim throughout was to produce a bold, clear and dignified image worthy of her place in our history," she said.

Annan was posting as an individual board member. GhEcho found no formal statement from the Bank of Ghana, and the Okoh family has not commented publicly beyond Prof Obeng's post.

The new note

The GH¢50 note is one of eight Heritage Series notes unveiled by President John Dramani Mahama on November 12. It honours Mrs Okoh, whose design was adopted as Ghana's national flag at independence in 1957, and carries the Jubilee House on its reverse, according to MyJoyOnline and Citi Newsroom. The new notes enter circulation on December 1, and existing notes remain legal tender.