Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the government over the portrait of Theodosia Salome Okoh on the newly introduced GH¢50 banknote, alleging that the image used does not accurately represent the designer of Ghana’s national flag.
He questioned the process involved in selecting the portrait, describing the alleged error as a sign of poor attention to detail by the government.
Hon Afenyo-Markin made the remarks while speaking to journalists after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12.
According to him, the government was in a hurry to remove images of the Big Six from Ghana’s currency, a move he believes resulted in the wrong portrait being used on the new GH¢50 note.
“They were in haste to erase the Big Six from our currency and our history. Out of that haste and hate, we saw them outdooring a note bearing the name of Theodosia Okoh, but they got her picture wrong and placed a different face on the GH¢50 note,” he said.
He further questioned the government’s ability to manage the economy, arguing that its alleged failure to verify such an important detail on the currency raised concerns about its competence.
“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? Can we trust them to put money in our pockets?” he asked.
The GH¢50 note forms part of the Bank of Ghana’s newly introduced Heritage Series, which features eight prominent Ghanaian personalities, historical landmarks and traditional symbols to celebrate the country’s history and cultural identity.
The denomination is dedicated to national identity, freedom and self-determination. It honours Theodosia Salome Okoh, who designed Ghana’s national flag, and features the Adinkra symbol Fawohodie, representing freedom and independence. The Jubilee House is also depicted on the reverse side of the note.
The eight new denominations were unveiled by President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday, November 12, 2026, with each highlighting different aspects of Ghana’s history and national identity, including commerce, religious diversity, education, justice, culture, international peace and sovereignty.
Meanwhile, hon Afenyo-Markin said the Minority would conduct a detailed review of the 2027 Budget before presenting its position to the public.
He explained that the caucus would hold a budget workshop to examine the government’s proposals before issuing a comprehensive assessment.
“The Minority is going to do a critical examination of the Budget Statement as presented, and after the budget workshop, we will come out with a full critique of our views and let Ghanaians know that this National Democratic Congress government is a sloganeering government,” he said.
