ACCRA — Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to one of the nation’s diplomatic pioneers, honoring 101-year-old Ambassador Richard Maximillian Akwei with a special award at the recent Ambassadors’ Dinner. The Chief of Staff and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, presented the lifetime achievement award to Ambassador Akwei, who is the sole survivor of the ten original officers of Ghana’s Foreign Service Corps.
Ambassador Akwei began his distinguished career in 1956, joining the then Gold Coast Foreign Service. His extensive service includes a tenure as Ghana’s first Ambassador to Mexico from 1964 to 1965. He also served as the Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva (1965-1967), and concurrently as Ambassador to Switzerland. From 1967 to 1972, he was the Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, and later served as Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from 1972 to 1976. His career culminated as the Chief Director of the Foreign Ministry from 1976 to 1978.
Minister Ablakwa expressed his profound gratitude, stating that he was “humbled and eternally thankful” to Ambassador Akwei for his presence and for accepting the award. The Minister acknowledged the foundational role Ambassador Akwei and his peers played in shaping Ghana’s foreign policy, recognizing their sacrifices as essential to the nation’s progress.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
