You have messed up; apologise - Kwarteng rubbishes BoG's statement

Former Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng, has criticised the Bank of Ghana (BoG) over the controversy surrounding the portrait of the late Theodosia Salome Okoh on the new GH¢50 Heritage Series banknote.

He has called on the central bank to take responsibility for what he describes as an unacceptable misrepresentation of the woman who designed Ghana’s national flag, apologise to her family and the Ghanaian public and withdraw the affected banknotes for correction.

His comments follow a statement by the BoG on November 13, 2026, responding to claims that the portrait of Theodosia Okoh on the new banknote was taken from a photograph of her sister, Dr Letitia Obeng.

The central bank denied using a photograph of Dr Obeng, explaining that the portrait was developed from different photographs of Theodosia Okoh.

It, however, acknowledged that artistic adjustments made during the engraving process, including replacing her familiar head tie with a hairstyle commonly worn during her time, had affected her appearance in the final image.

Reacting to the explanation in a social media post, Kwarteng said the need for the bank to issue a statement explaining why the portrait did not resemble Theodosia Okoh was itself an indication that something had gone wrong.

“You know you have messed up when you have to issue a statement to explain why someone does not look like herself,” he wrote.

He argued that the central bank could not honour distinguished personalities by presenting them in a manner that misrepresented their identity and image.

“You do not honour distinguished personalities by dishonouring their identity and image…

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“The BoG must stop rationalising what is patently an unacceptable blunder. The remedy is to take responsibility & apologize to the family as well as the Ghanaian people, and take immediate steps to withdraw and correct the notes,” he said.

“The excuse of artistic interpretation & misinterpretation is not sufficient to cure this manifesting misrepresentation & national embarrassment. Just take responsibility!” he added.

The controversy has emerged ahead of the planned introduction of the Heritage Series banknotes into circulation on December 1, 2026.

The BoG has maintained that the portrait was intended to honour Theodosia Okoh for her contribution to Ghana’s national identity and has assured the public that it remains committed to portraying notable personalities on the country's currency with dignity and respect.

You know you have messed up when you have to issue a statement to explain why someone does not look like herself.

You do not honour distinguished personalities by dishonouring their identity and image.

The BoG must stop rationalising what is patently an unacceptable blunder. The remedy is to take responsibility & apologize to the family as well as the Ghanaian people, and take immediate steps to withdraw and correct the notes.

The excuse of artistic interpretation & misinterpretation is not sufficient to cure this manifesting misrepresentation & national embarrassment.

Just take responsibility!

— Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwartengF) November 14, 2026

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