Pres Honours 10 Ambassadors for Serving Ghana With Distinction

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday honoured 10 pioneer officers of the Foreign Service for their invaluable contribution to the development of the country from the late 1950s to the 1990s.

They are Henry Reginald Amonoo, who served as Ghana's permanent representative to the United Nations Geneva Office and Consul-General in Switzerland, Frederick Sigfried Arkhurst, who served as the country's Foreign Minister and later, Ambassador to the UN from 1964-65 and K.B. Asante, the astute diplomat who passed away in February this year at age 93.

Others are Frank Edmund Boaten, who is noted for opening the Ghana Embassy in Moscow in 1960, Kenneth Kweku Sinaman Dadzie, who served as Ghana's permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva and later Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Abraham Benjamin Baah Kofi, who served in several capacities including the Ambassador in Monrovia, Liberia, and later, Pakistan.

The rest are Alexander Quaison-Sackey, the 8th Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1965 to 66 among other positions, Henry Van Hien Sekyi, former Ambassador to Italy, Turkey and later High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Richard Maximilian Akwei, former Ambassador to China and Ebenezer Moses Debrah, who served in Monrovia, Liberia, Cairo, Egypt, and Washington, United States.

Out of the 10 ambassadors, eight were honoured posthumously, with Mr Akwei and Mr Debrah, the only surviving former officers of the Foreign Service.

President Akufo-Addo praised the former officers for their service to the state and indicated that the 10 officers promoted the image of the country, which had just emerged as the first country to gain independence in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the officers played a role in championing the struggle for the liberation of the rest of the continent from colonialism and imperialism and were visible symbols of the country abroad.

Prior to their selection, he said they were subjected to rigorous selection processes to ensure that their appointments were based wholly on individual merits, and not ethnic, religious or political affiliations.

President Akufo-Addo said the officers served the country with distinction and dedication and left the country with many identifiable diplomatic achievements and landmarks that had enhanced the image of the country

"They achieved legendary status in the annals of Ghana's public service'" he said and urged the present generation to emulate their enviable records.

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