President John Dramani Mahama has described the late Ambassador James Victor Gbeho as a distinguished diplomat whose decades of service elevated Ghana's standing on the global stage.
Paying tribute at the state funeral of the former Foreign Affairs Minister and former President of the ECOWAS Commission on Friday, July 31, President Mahama said Ambassador Gbeho regarded representing Ghana as a "sacred trust" and discharged his duties with professionalism, quiet confidence and unwavering patriotism.
According to the President, the late diplomat's commitment to national service earned Ghana respect wherever he served, particularly during his decade-long tenure as Ghana's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 1980 to 1990.
"Wherever he served, Ghana's flag flew a little higher because it was represented by a man of exceptional integrity, sound judgment and remarkable intellect," President Mahama said.
President Mahama also highlighted Ambassador Gbeho's contributions to peacebuilding and regional integration through his service as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, ECOWAS Special Representative for Liberia, and later as President of the ECOWAS Commission.
"His service did not end at our borders. He never stopped serving because service was not simply what he did; it was who he was," the President said.
Describing Ambassador Gbeho as one of Ghana's outstanding nation-builders, President Mahama said his legacy would endure through the institutions he strengthened, the diplomats he mentored and the countless lives he influenced.
Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, who died on June 14, 2026, at the age of 91, enjoyed a diplomatic career spanning more than six decades.
Born on January 12, 1935, in Keta in the Volta Region, he served as Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2001, represented the Anlo Constituency in Parliament from 2001 to 2005, and held diplomatic postings in China, India, Nigeria, Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
