A family member of Theodosia Salome Okoh, the designer of Ghana’s flag whom the Bank of Ghana has honoured on its new GH₵50 note, Dr. Eddie Obeng has exposed what he describes as a major gaffe by the Bank of Ghana.
The GH₵50 note is part of the new Heritage Series unveiled on Thursday, November 12, 2026, in Accra by President John Mahama and the Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Johnson Asiama.
The Bank of Ghana has said the note is dedicated to Theodosia Okoh who designed Ghana’s red, gold and green flag with the black star in 1957.
But Dr. Obeng, who claims to be a nephew of Theodosia Okoh, says the picture on the new note is that of his mother named Dr. Letitia Obeng but not Theodosia Salome Okoh’s.
In a post on LinkedIn, accompanied by front and back images of the new GH₵50 note, Dr. Obeng was proud to hear his aunt had been honoured, only to realize the face on the note isn’t hers.
“I have a wry smile on my face that won’t go away, and occasionally I shake my head or giggle. So, I heard this morning that my aunt had been honoured in a new series of issued banknotes in Ghana – she’s famous there for designing the country’s flag after independence from Britain. I was very proud and began composing a message to my cousin,” he wrote.
“Imagine my surprise when I took a look and realised that they have used a picture of my mother instead – she’s famous for being the country’s first lady PhD. You can’t make it up,” he added.
His mother, Dr. Letitia Obeng is Ghana’s first female scientist and first woman to earn a PhD in the country and the sister of Theodosia Okoh.
Dr Obeng’s post has since gone viral.
Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had earlier raised the alarm and slammed the Bank of Ghana for getting such an important exercise wrong.
Afenyo-Markin also accused the government of rushing the redesign of the currency to erase the “Big Six” from Ghana’s history, stressing the haste led to the error on the GH₵50 note.
“In fact, they were in haste to erase the Big Six from our currency and our history. Out of that haste and hate, we saw them adorning a new fifty-cedi note bearing the name of Theodosia Okoh but they got her picture wrong,” he said.
The Minority Leader noted that the error reflected broader carelessness in the handling of national symbols and public policy.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana is yet to officially respond to the claims of using the wrong picture of Theodosia Okoh.
However, a Presidential Staffer, who is also a member of the Bank of Ghana Board, Beatrice Annan, has responded in a Facebook post.
In the post, she explained that the portrait is an engraved artistic impression of Theodosia Okoh, created by merging three photographs of her with her hairstyle adjusted to suit engraving.
Beatrice Annan wrote: “The Bank of Ghana has noted discussions on social media about the portrait of Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh, designer of Ghana’s national flag, on the new GH₵50 Heritage Series banknote. A banknote portrait is not an ordinary photograph. It is an engraved artistic rendering created to meet the strict technical requirements of banknote printing. It must be sharp, well lit and rich in fine detail so that it can be engraved, reproduced in raised print and incorporate the security features that protect the note against counterfeiting.
“The Bank worked from three authentic photographs of Mrs Okoh, two from her younger years and one from later life. These were used to create a single portrait presenting her as a mature woman while retaining a faithful family resemblance. Her hairstyle was also adjusted to align with the family’s style and provide a clear outline suitable for engraving. The aim throughout was to produce a bold, clear and dignified image worthy of her place in our history. The result is the portrait featured on the GH₵50 Heritage Series banknote.”
She disclosed that the Bank is engaging Theodosia Okoh’s family to “explain the careful work that went into creating the portrait and resolve the issue”.
Meanwhile, there is no official response from the Bank of Ghana to Beatrice Annan’s claim nor to clarify the issues of wrong representation on the cedi note.
