Ghana has laid to rest one of its most distinguished statesmen and foreign service pioneers, former Minister of Foreign Affairs James Victor Gbeho, following a solemn state funeral at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra.
The grounds were draped in black and red as hundreds of mourners—spanning government leaders, the diplomatic corps, traditional authorities, and citizens—converged to honor the late 91-year-old diplomat.
The ceremony blended state protocol with rich cultural heritage, featuring traditional dirges and agbadza rhythms performed by drummers from the Anlo Traditional Area alongside solemn selections by the Ghana Police Band.
High-Level Global and National Dignitaries Attend
The state funeral drew a high-profile assembly of national and international figures who filed past the flag-draped casket to pay their final respects.
Key dignitaries in attendance included:
State Leadership: President John Dramani Mahama; Vice-President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang; Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin; and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
International & Regional Leaders: Former Namibian President Dr. Nangolo Mbumba and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray.
Government & Traditional Authorities: Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, cabinet ministers, security chiefs, leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), members of the diplomatic corps, the Old Achimota Students Association, and the Anlo Traditional Council led by the Awadada of Anlo Dukor, Togbui Agbesi Awusu II.
"A Rare Nation Builder": Tributes Honor Legacy
Leading the state tributes, President John Dramani Mahama eulogized Ambassador Gbeho as an exceptional public servant who projected Ghana’s values globally with dignity, intellect, and quiet confidence.
"In 1935 in Keta, in the Volta Region, James Victor Gbeho came from a family that made an enduring contribution to the story of our nation. As a son of Philip Gbeho, composer of our national anthem, he inherited not only a proud name but also a profound sense of duty to country."
— John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana
President Mahama highlighted Gbeho's decade-long tenure as Ghana's UN Ambassador (1980–1990) as one of the most distinguished postings in the country's history, noting that while his voice is now silent, the respect he earned for Ghana will endure for generations.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin praised Gbeho as a statesman whose wisdom regularly tempered political passions, describing his life as "closely woven into the fabric of our nation's struggle for dignity, sovereignty, and good governance."
A Historic Career in Public Service
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa paid tribute to Ambassador Gbeho’s unprecedented trajectory in Ghana's diplomatic corps, noting that Gbeho—who joined the Ghana Foreign Service in 1959—remains the only foreign minister in Ghanaian history to rise from a junior career officer to the head of the ministry.
Over his five-decade career, Ambassador Gbeho held critical national and international positions, including:
Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations: 1980 – 1990
Minister for Foreign Affairs: 1997 – 2001 (under President Jerry John Rawlings)
Member of Parliament: 2001 – 2005
International Roles: UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, ECOWAS Special Representative for Liberia, and President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Speaking on behalf of his native home, the Awadada of Anlo Dukor, Togbui Agbesi Awusu II, declared that Ambassador Gbeho had honored the Anlo people, served the nation with distinction, and enriched global diplomacy through his quiet, principled leadership.
