Zita For Czech

Zita Sabah Okaikoi
President John Mahama seems to have reshuffled his list of envoys (Ambassadors/High Commissioners) he intends sending on foreign missions to represent the country’s interest.

The latest information gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicates that former Minister of Tourism, Zita Sabah Okaikoi who was initially penciled to become Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, is now going to the Czech Republic.

A source at the Flagstaff House told DAILY GUIDE that Zita’s ‘agreemo’ – a memorandum from one nation to another agreeing to the appointment of an envoy – had been received by government and would soon be issued with her letters of credence for her to proceed to that country.

That of former Chief Fire Officer who was the country’s envoy to Serbia, Sam Vallis Akyianu, has been received by government.

Akyianu, who until becoming ambassador was Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was therefore said to be preparing to leave for his duty post in Morocco, North Africa.

The name of former Clerk of Parliament, Ken Takyi, had also popped-up as a likely ambassador to Libya in the next couple of days since the Libyan government accepted his appointment by issuing an ‘agreement’ to that effect.

Three others, including former Minister of Youth and Sports, Akua Sena Dansua, her colleague former Ministers of Information and Upper West Regional Minister, John Akologu-Tia and Mahmoud Khalid respectively, were also reported to be waiting for the whistle to blow so that they could also leave the country for their respective foreign missions.

Akua Sena Dansua is penciled to go and head Ghana’s mission in Germany while John Tia and Mahmoud Khalid are scheduled to go to Cuba and Mali respectively as the country’s ambassadors.

This comes seven or so months after their nominations.

So far, only two out of all the 25 nominated have reported at their duty posts.

They include former Eastern Regional Minister, Emmanuel Victor Smith, who is currently Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and former Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency, Dr. Tony Aidoo, now the country’s ambassador to the Netherlands.

Seven months after their nominations, most of the envoys- designate continue to wonder when they would be issued with their letters of credence for them to proceed to their assigned countries, even though they have taken the oaths of office and secrecy.

Most of the nation’s foreign missions have been without envoys for almost a year now, since all envoys were recalled in October, 2013, making room for the nomination of their replacements.

For now, personalities like the former Northern Regional Minister, Moses Mabengba; former Secretary to Cabinet, Ben C. Eghan; Managing Editor of Accra Mail, Alhaji Haruna Attah; former Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo; former Acting Chief Executive (CEO) of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Sam Pee Yalley; brother of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, Dr. Cadman Mills and a host of others who have all been designated as envoys would have to bid their time.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu