EC’s Sylvia Annoh awarded with ambassadorial job

President Nana Akufo-Addo’s has listed his first batch of ambassadors consisting of 33 career diplomats and political appointees.

The list has however been submitted to the Council of State for approval in accordance Article 74(1) of the Constitution of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Former Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, has been assigned as Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States.

Ex-Chief of Defense Staff, Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa, has been appointed as Ghana Ambassador to Egypt.

Controversy

One person whose appointment has sparked controversy is Sylvia Naa Adaawa Annoh, Director of Public Affairs, at the Electoral Commission (EC) who has been assigned to Denmark as Ambassador.

A section of Ghanaians believe that Madam Adaawa Annoh’s appointment is a form of reward “for job well done” at the Electoral Commission which gave President Akufo-Addo a resounding second term victory.

Dismissed Ambassadors

Some persons who served as ambassadors during the first term of office of  Akufo-Addo have been dismissed.

Among those dismissed are the former High Commissioner to India, Mike Quaye Jnr who has been replaced with Dr Winfred Nii Okai Hammond, immediate past Ambassador to Egypt as well the former Presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention, Dr Edward Nasigiri Mahama, Ambassador at Large whose position has been taken over by Michael Ofori-Atta, Director of ECOWAS Affairs at the Jubilee House, the seat of Government in Ghana.

New Faces

Former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has replaced Edward Boateng as the Head of Mission at the Ghana Embassy in Beijing, China.

Others include: Frederick Daniel Laryea who is retained in Abidjan/Cote d’lvoire, Alhaji Rashid Bawa – High Commissioner to Nigeria, retained; Papa Owusu-Ankomah – High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, retained; Napoleon Abdulai Ambassador to Mali from Cuba; Alhaji Mohammad Habibu Tijani, a former deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Saudi Arabia; Anselm Ransford Sowah, immediate past Managing Director of GCB Bank, replacing Nii Ayikoi Otoo – Canada; Adagbila Boniface Gambila, former MP for Nabdam – Burkina Faso; Immediate past High Commissioner to Kenya, Francisca Ashiety-Odunton – Turkey; and Charles Asuako Owiredu, a deputy minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration – South Africa.

The rest of the ambassadors-designate are Oheneba Dr. Lesley Akyaa Opoku-Ware, who is being retained in Russia; Perpetua Joyce Naana Dontoh, a former Chief State Attorney replacing Esther Ofori in Equatorial Guinea; Charis Obetsebi-Lamptey Zwennes, daughter of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, South Korea to replace Dufie Agyarko; former Cape Coast MP and Chairperson of Ghana Gas, Christine Churcher heading to Benin; Barbara Akuorkor Benisa – Malta; Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, retained as Ambassador to United Arab Emirates; Harold Adlai Agyeman – New York City, Kwabena Okubi-Appiah – Liberia; Genevieve Apaloo – Japan; James Komla Nyasembi – Czech Republic; Yakubu Alhassan – Namibia; Damptey Bediako Asare – Kenya; Francis Danti Kotia, Director of Passports – Netherlands; Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Abdulai – Kuwait; Khadija Iddrisu – Zambia; Samuel Yaw Nsiah – Cuba; Samuel Jojo Effah-Broni – Morocco and Emmanuel Kwame Asiedu Antwi who will be the Ambassador in Situ ( Chief of Protocol).

Below is the full list: