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President John Dramani Mahama has officially commissioned 18 new envoys as part of efforts to reposition Ghana’s diplomatic corps in line with his administration’s Resetting Ghana Agenda.
The commissioning ceremony took place at the Presidency in Accra, where President Mahama administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the new appointees. The group includes 12 Ambassadors, three High Commissioners, two Ambassadors in-situ, and one Ambassador-at-Large.
Among the notable appointments are Mrs Sabah Zita Benson, who becomes High Commissioner to the United Kingdom; Mr Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ambassador to the United States; Madam Mavis Ama Frimpong, Ambassador to France; Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, High Commissioner to Nigeria; and Dr Koma-Steem Jehu Appiah, Ambassador to the Russian Federation.
Others include Mr Kojo Bonsu, Ambassador to China; Alhaji Hammed Rashid Tunde Ali, Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates; Professor Ohene Adjei, Ambassador to Germany; and Alhaji Abdul Nasiru-Deen, Ambassador to Turkey. Also appointed are Dr Margaret Miewien Chebere, Ambassador to Denmark; Mr Labik Joseph Yaani, Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea; Nii Amasah Namoale, Ambassador to Brazil; and Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, High Commissioner to India.
The list further includes Mr Samuel Yao Kumah, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York; Mr Godwin Baletum Amonzem, Ambassador to Liberia; Mr Aikins Abrokwa, Ambassador in-situ and Director of State Protocol; Mr Gustav Kwaku Sefe Dovlo, Ambassador in-situ and Chief of State Protocol; and Mrs Patience Kokui Gameli-Kwame, Ambassador-at-Large and Deputy Director General of the Research Department.
In his remarks, President Mahama said the appointments were a mark of confidence in the appointees’ years of dedicated service and significant contributions to Ghana both in public and private life. He urged them to take up their roles with commitment, noting that they will play a central role in advancing the country’s foreign policy and economic diplomacy.
The President recalled that only a few days earlier, he had opened the joint conference of Heads of Mission and Orientation Programme for the newly appointed envoys. The event was themed “Harnessing the Dividends of Diplomacy for Ghana’s Reset Agenda”.
Mahama further disclosed that, for the first time in Ghana’s diplomatic practice, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been introduced to guide the work of envoys. According to him, the innovation signals a new era of clarity, accountability, and measurable outcomes in the country’s foreign service.
“These KPIs are not mere bureaucratic tools; they are instruments to ensure that every action taken by our missions abroad contributes directly to advancing Ghana’s national priorities. I assure you that I will monitor progress under the framework as part of our commitment to results-oriented diplomacy,” the President said.
He explained that the Reset Agenda is the blueprint of his administration, designed to restore hope, rebuild trust, and rekindle progress towards prosperity. The plan, he said, seeks to re-anchor integrity, transparency, and inclusive governance while strengthening Ghana’s global reputation.
Mahama also highlighted Ghana’s long-standing foreign policy principles, which include Pan-Africanism, peaceful co-existence, self-determination, and the pursuit of justice and equity in world affairs. He charged the new envoys to be champions of economic diplomacy and to protect Ghana’s interest in the international arena.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Ghana’s new Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, expressed gratitude to the President for the honour done to them. He pledged the group’s loyalty and commitment to executing the Reset Agenda.
“My colleague ambassadors and high commissioners, and indeed all appointees in President Mahama’s government, let us focus on our leader’s vision and chart a course of selfless leadership wherever we may find ourselves. We cannot, and indeed we dare not, fail the good people of Ghana,” Smith said.
The commissioning of the new envoys marks a significant step in Mahama’s foreign policy drive, as his government seeks to strengthen Ghana’s position globally and attract investment and partnerships that will support economic growth at home.
