Fresh allegations emerge over Ghana's new Heritage Series banknotes

Fresh allegations circulating on social media have raised further questions 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 latest claims concern the GH¢5 note and the reverse of the GH¢1 note. However, none of the allegations 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. However, viral social media posts have alleged that the portrait on the note is not that of Aggrey but George Ekem Ferguson, a Gold Coast surveyor and diplomat. One of the widely circulated posts, shared by lawyer Noah Tietaah Yakubu, places the GH¢5 portrait side by side with a historical photograph of Ferguson, sparking fresh questions about the identity of the person depicted. The Bank has yet to respond to the allegation, and no family member of either Aggrey or Ferguson has publicly confirmed or disputed the claim. GH¢1: Makola scene under scrutiny Separate viral videos and social media posts have also alleged that one of the women depicted 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 have identified the woman as Victoria Esther Nkhama, also known as Esther Bosha, a Zimbabwean influencer. The videos claim that Bosha visited Ghana in 2021 and took a photograph with market women at the Makola Market, which the designers allegedly used without realising that she was not Ghanaian. On the GH¢1 note, the Bank identifies the woman featured in the front portrait, which is not the subject of the viral claims, as Agnes Oforiwa Tagoe-Quarcoopome, a Makola trader and independence activist. GH¢50 controversy lingers The latest allegations come amid the controversy surrounding the GH¢50 note, which the Bank says honours Theodosia Salome Okoh, the designer of Ghana's national flag. After several Ghanaians on social media raised concerns that the portrait on the GH¢50 note resembled Theodosia Okoh's sister, Dr Letitia Obeng, Dr Eddie Obeng, the son of Dr Obeng and nephew of Theodosia Okoh, wrote on LinkedIn that the Bank had used a photograph of his mother instead of his aunt. The Bank has since issued a statement explaining that the GH¢50 portrait was developed using different photographs of Mrs Okoh, with technical adaptations resulting in a resemblance to Dr Obeng. That explanation, however, has not brought an end to the debate. With the emergence of the latest allegations, controversy surrounding the Heritage Series banknotes, which were unveiled only a few days ago, continues to grow.Source: classfmonline.com
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