The Minority in Parliament has called on the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to appear before the House and respond to claims that identities have been wrongly portrayed on the newly issued Heritage Series cedi notes. The caucus says the central bank must explain the designs and the process that led to their approval.
The Minority also faulted the lack of parliamentary consultation before the new banknotes were rolled out. It said legislators should be given the due diligence report showing how the designs were reviewed and cleared.
The demand was made by Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, at a press conference on Friday, November 13.
He said the Minority had learned that the Bank of Ghana’s board planned to convene an emergency meeting that evening to consider the concerns about the currency designs.
“We are hearing, for example, that the bank board wants to meet tonight on an emergency basis to try and respond to those questions,” he said.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah insisted that the controversy, especially the questions over the portrait of the designer of Ghana’s national flag, Theodosia Salome Okoh, obliges the central bank to give Parliament clear answers.
He cautioned that the Governor and the officials concerned would be required to appear before the House to address the matters raised.
“We want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served. They will have to show up before Parliament and answer all of these questions,” he declared.
Minority questions identities on new banknotes
The Ranking Member asked how the Bank of Ghana planned to deal with what the Minority regards as misrepresentations of identities on some of the new notes. He also raised concerns about the cost of correcting the designs, particularly if the affected notes had to be reprinted.
“How do they respond to the misrepresentations of identities on the face of some of the notes that they have presented? What will it cost us to reprint those notes on which identities have been misrepresented?” he asked.
The concerns come amid public debate over the portrait of Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh on the new GH¢50 Heritage Series banknote.
The Minority wants the central bank to explain why the personalities on the currency were chosen and presented as they were, and what checks were carried out before the designs were finalised.
Parliament to demand due diligence report
Beyond the portrait questions, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said Parliament would ask for a copy of the due diligence report on the new banknote designs. He said lawmakers wanted to identify who reviewed the designs and who gave final approval.
“Parliament will also be looking for a copy of the due diligence report on the designs and who signed that report,” he stated.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah stressed that the caucus was aware of developments surrounding the new currency and would take up the matter in Parliament, although its immediate focus at the press conference was the 2027 Budget.
He said the Minority would return to the issue and press for the explanations it is demanding from the central bank.