The first Archbishop of Tamale is the face of the new GH¢2 note, and his Foundation has welcomed the honour.

Published 13 Nov 2026, 19:37 GMT

3 min read

Front of the new GH¢2 note showing Cardinal Peter Dery — GH¢2 front: Cardinal Peter Dery (Religious Freedom)

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The Catholic priest on Ghana's new GH¢2 note is Cardinal Peter Poreku Dery, the first Archbishop of Tamale, who died in 2008 and is now on the path to sainthood.

When the diocese of Wa was created in 1959, he was appointed its first bishop on 16 March 1960 and ordained bishop on 8 May that year.

He moved to Tamale as Apostolic Administrator in 1972, became bishop in November 1974 and the first Archbishop when Tamale was raised to an archdiocese on 30 May 1977.

He retired in March 1994, was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on 24 March 2006 and died on 6 March 2008.

He was the first to bring liturgical inculturation into his diocese, founded many schools and a minor seminary, and served as president of the Bishops' Conference of Ghana.

His Foundation describes him as an influential voice for evangelisation, peace and social development whose work in Northern Ghana and for poor and marginalised communities defines his legacy.

His cause for beatification began in June 2013, when the Church in Ghana announced it at a memorial Mass in Tamale.

The Vatican issued its nihil obstat on 13 July 2013, giving him the title Servant of God, and the diocesan inquiry opened in Tamale on 9 May 2015.

Investigators had interviewed 45 witnesses by June 2016, and the bishops have ordered annual Masses every March 7 to advance the cause, ACI Africa reports.

The Cardinal Dery Foundation welcomed his place on the note in a statement on Friday, thanking the government for the recognition.

It said the gesture honours a life marked by service, humility, integrity and compassion, and that it would use the moment to push his beatification cause, appealing for membership subscriptions and voluntary contributions.

The orange-and-gold GH¢2 note carries his portrait under the theme of religious freedom, with the Larabanga Mosque on the back and the Nyame Dua symbol for God's presence and protection.

President John Dramani Mahama unveiled the Heritage Series at Bank Square on Thursday, and the notes enter circulation on 1 December alongside the old ones, as our guide to every Heritage banknote explains.

Others in the series we have profiled include Dr Letitia Obeng, the pioneering scientist her son says is on the GH¢50 note, and Achimota School, the only school on the new notes.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Meet Cardinal Dery, the priest on the new GH¢2 note now on the path to sainthood

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IMF says Ghana's stability is "becoming entrenched" as crisis response ends