By Daniel Bampoe
The deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho in the Ashanti Region, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has strongly criticized President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to appoint 18 Deputy High Commissioners and Ambassadors, describing it as “a duplication of roles and a financial waste wrapped in protocol.”
According to the legislator, Ghana’s foreign missions have never seen such an extensive expansion in their deputy heads since the country’s independence, calling the move “unprecedented and economically reckless.”
Historical Context
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh recounted that when former President John Agyekum Kufuor first introduced Deputy High Commissioners and Deputy Ambassadors into the foreign service, it was done strategically and selectively.
“When President Kufuor introduced Deputy High Commissioners and Ambassadors into Ghana’s Foreign Service, it was a strategic move limited only to countries with large land size and a large Ghanaian population, to ensure that the needs of our compatriots are well served. So, only countries like Canada, the United States, and South Africa benefited from this,” he explained.
He added that under President John Evans Atta Mills’ administration, there were no deputy ambassadors or high commissioners at all.
Under President Akufo-Addo’s first term, Ghana had only two deputy heads—one each in the United Kingdom and China. In his second term, India, South Africa, the United States, and Canada were added, bringing the total to six.
“Between 2000 and 2024, no government ever exceeded six deputy ambassadors or high commissioners. Now, in 2025, President Mahama has appointed 18 — the highest and most expensive in the history,” the MP lamented.
Cost Implications And Contradictions
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh described the appointments as “a clear contradiction” to President Mahama’s own admission that Ghana was spending too much—about $15 million annually—on renting properties abroad for diplomatic purposes.
“When the same President who complains about $15 million yearly rent for our missions creates $12 million more in new payroll costs abroad, Ghana isn’t saving the public purse. We are expanding it for political comfort,” he argued.
According to him, each deputy appointment comes with an estimated annual cost of between US$150,000 and US$170,000, covering allowances, accommodation, education grants, vehicle and driver, and relocation expenses.
“For these 18 appointments, Ghana would spend approximately US$3 million each year, or between US$10.8 million and US$12.4 million over a four-year term. That is just duplication of roles and functions,” he revealed.
The breakdown per deputy:
Basic salary: $84,000 per year
Foreign service allowance: $18,000–24,000
Accommodation and furnishing: $36,000–60,000
Utilities and vehicle costs: $17,000–26,000 combined
Education and entertainment allowances: $11,000–21,000
Other benefits: relocation, outfit, and high-risk pay
Redundancy in the Foreign Service Structure
The Ranking Member emphasized that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) clearly defines the structure of every diplomatic mission, which already includes a Head of Mission (the Ambassador or High Commissioner) and a Head of Chancery—a senior career diplomat responsible for administration and finance.
“Each mission already has a Head of Chancery who performs almost the same duties as a Deputy High Commissioner or Ambassador. These new deputies cannot lawfully act as Heads of Chancery. So, every mission now has two top-tier managers for one role—a political deputy and a career Head of Chancery—both housed, paid, and resourced by the State,” he stated.
He accused the Mahama administration of politicizing diplomatic postings by appointing loyalists rather than career diplomats.
“All these appointees are political and not career diplomats. Government is not limited to Ministers but includes all these political appointees, who are clearly being rewarded with these appointments,” he asserted.
Official List of Appointees
A letter dated 11th September 2025 from the Office of the President, signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, confirmed the appointments. The 18 Deputy Heads of Missions are:
1. Dr. Palmer Appiah-Gyan – Germany
2. Francisca Patoah Gyarko – Switzerland
3. Ben Dotsei Malor – United States of America
4. Harry Zevon, Ph.D. – China
5. Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah – Canada
6. Sulemana Ibun Iddrissu – India
7. Aquinas Quansah – United Kingdom
8. George Harrison – South Korea
9. Jamilatu Amadu – United Arab Emirates
10. Emmanuel Netsey-Afedo – Netherlands
11. Sophia Karen Edem Ackuaku – Italy
12. Francis Thalamus Doe – Japan
13. Sanni Jajah – Saudi Arabia
14. Kwadwo Agyei-Dwomor – Türkiye
15. Emmanuel Kamban Panyan – Russia
16. Alhaji Mohammed Seidu Issah Abah – South Africa
17. Mohammed Ibn Abass – Egypt
18. Rev. Isaac Clive Mould, Ph.D. – Denmark
Background And Presidential Justification
At the swearing-in ceremony of the new envoys on September 4, 2025, President Mahama justified the appointments by stating that his government was working to reduce long-term rental costs of Ghana’s foreign missions.
“Ghana cannot continue spending more than $15 million every year on renting properties abroad for our diplomatic use. A transaction advisor has already been engaged to oversee the establishment of state-owned properties for our missions,” the President said at the event.
However, the Bosome Freho MP insists this justification does not hold water.
“This isn’t reform; it’s replication — a diplomatic payroll expansion plan disguised as foreign-service strengthening. In economic terms, it’s nothing short of financial loss to the State,” he concluded.
