New concerns arise over BoG's GH₵5 And GH₵1 allegedly featuring Zimbabwean influencer

Fresh allegations on social media are raising new doubts about the Bank of Ghana’s new Heritage Series banknotes, days after the Bank was forced to defend the portrait on the GH₵50 note.

The new claims concern the GH₵5 note and the reverse of the GH₵1 note. None of the claims has been independently verified.

GH₵5: Aggrey or Ferguson?

According to the Bank of Ghana, the GH₵5 note honours educationist Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, co-founder of Achimota School.

But viral posts on social media have alleged that the face on the note is not Aggrey but George Ekem Ferguson, the Gold Coast surveyor and diplomat.

One of such posts which has been widely circulated by Noah Tietaah Yakubu, a lawyer, places the GH₵5 portrait side-by-side with a historic photo of Ferguson, sparking fresh questions.

The Bank has not yet responded to the allegation and no family member of Aggrey or Ferguson has publicly confirmed or denied it.

GH₵1: Makola scene under scrutiny

Separate viral videos and posts on social media have also alleged that one of the women in the Makola Market scene on the reverse of the GH₵1 note is a Zimbabwean tourist and social media influencer.

Some widely shared TikTok videos identified the woman as Victoria Esther Nkhama, also known as Esther Bosha, a Zimbabwean influencer.

The videos claim Bosha visited Ghana in 2021 and took a photo with market women at the Makola Market and the designers have used that photo without realizing she was not Ghanaian.

For the GH₵1, the Bank says the front portrait which is not the subject of the viral claims is Agnes Oforiwa Tagoe-Quarcoopome, a Makola trader and independence activist.

GH₵50 controversy lingers

The latest allegations come after the controversy over the GH₵50 note which the Bank says honours Theodosia Salome Okoh, designer of Ghana’s flag.

After many Ghanaians on social media raised concerns that the GH₵50 portrait looked like Theodosia Okoh’s sister, Dr Letitia Obeng, Dr Eddie Obeng, son of Dr. Obeng and nephew of Theodosia Okoh, wrote on LinkedIn that the Bank had used a picture of his mother instead of his aunt.

The Bank has since issued a statement saying the GH₵50 portrait was developed from different photographs of Mrs. Okoh, and that technical adaptations made it resemble Dr. Obeng.

That explanation, however, has not ended the debate and with these new allegations, controversy over the Heritage Series notes, made public only a few days ago, continues to grow.