Removal of Big 6 from Cedi Notes Politically Motivated: Musah Superior Demands Return of Big Six Portraits on Banknotes

The deputy chief executive officer of the Forestry Commission and Former Tamale Metropolitian Chief Executive Musah Superior has slammed the decision to remove the iconic ‘Big Six’ from the new Cedi design, saying it is a political move. In response to the Bank of Ghana’s new design release of the “Ghana Heritage Series” notes, the outspoken politician stated that the omission of the founding fathers from the banknotes is an attempt to rewrite history. He has called on any future NPP government to put the pictures of the independence heroes back onto the Cedi notes when they return to power.

The controversy follows the bank releasing the new Cedi Notes in Accra on Thursday, November 12th 2026. The new designs will be launched by the Central Bank Governor Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama and President John Dramani Mahama. The new range of notes will begin circulation on December 1st 2026. Although the bank claimed that they were simply upgrading the notes to make them harder to forge, more durable and easier to carry, the removal of the Big Six, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori-Atta, caused a storm.

Musah Superior said the central bank’s reasoning was “nonsense” and that there was an ideological motive behind the move. He said that the six are the cornerstones of Ghana’s fight for independence and their images should not be removed from banknotes. "The removal of the Big Six from our national currency is clearly politically motivated and seeks to diminish the collective sacrifices of our founding fathers." It is an attempt to undermine the sacrifices made by the founding fathers of our nation. National symbols such as our banknotes should reflect our history as a nation, but instead we have removed five of the six pictures of our independence heroes. he added.

The new ‘Ghana Heritage Series’ includes all eight current denominations of banknotes from GH¢1 to GH¢200. All new designs incorporate Adinkra symbols, monuments and new cultural elements. On the largest denomination, GH¢200, there is still a picture of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. However, the group picture of the Big Six which has been featured on Ghana’s banknotes since the large redenomination of 2007 under former President John Agyekum Kufuor has been removed.

Musah Superior has called on the New Patriotic Party to include putting the Big Six back on the Cedi notes as a priority for any future NPP government. "A future NPP government must prioritize the immediate restoration of the Big Six images onto our Cedi notes to honor our true history," he said.

“A future NPP government must make putting the Big Six back onto our Cedi notes as a priority. We must protect our real history as a Nation,” His comments have been echoed by many within the Danquah-Dombo-Busia camp who see the Big Six, particularly J.B. Danquah, Edward Akufo-Addo and Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey as ideological founders of the party. Many within the party have echoed his sentiments through radio and social media.

However, supporters of the Bank of Ghana’s decision have defended the claims of political bias, saying that they followed international bank guidelines. Supporters claim that it is necessary to reduce the detail of banknotes to allow for more secure features to be added. The addition of Adinkra symbols and national landmarks give a wider view of our culture.

Supporters of the current government have also pointed out that the Big Six were not added to the Cedi until 2007 under the Kufuor administration. Previous designs had various themes such as agriculture and industry along with individual national figures. Upgrading the design of our currency every couple of decades is common place globally and should not be seen as an attack on our independence.

Analysts have noted that the issue surrounding the new banknotes is part of the long standing conflict between the two main political ideologies in Ghana. Over the years there has been much debate over who deserves the most credit for our independence. This has often manifested itself in holidays, monument names and national symbols.

With the Heritage Series set to go into circulation on December 1st, the issue of the Big Six has caused much discussion. Whether or not the new design of the Cedi will be seen as a simple upgrade or if it will become a key promise for the opposition in the 2028 elections remains to be seen.