By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, July 31, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama together with Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on Friday, led Ghanaians to bid farewell to Mr James Victor Gbeho, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a career diploma at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra.
Mr Gbeho passed on at the age of 91, on June 13, 2026.
The state funeral brought together prominent figures such as former Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers of State, Government officials, Members of the diplomatic community, and representatives from the ECOWAS and the United Nations.
President Mahama in his tribute read on his behalf by Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, the Presidential Advisor and Special Aide to the President, described Mr Gbeho as a man who belongs to a rare class of nation builders.
“He did not seek greatness. He sought only to serve, and greatness found him because he served with honour,” the President stated.
President Mahama said Mr Gbeho came from a family that had made an enduring contribution to the story of the nation, as a son of Philip Gbeho, whose arrangement of Ghana’s national anthem, continues to inspire generations of Ghanaians, yet unborn.
He noted that Mr Gbeho inherited not only a proud name, but also a profound sense of duty to the country, declaring that throughout his life, he honoured that inheritance with distinction.
The President said from the earliest days of his career in Ghana’s Foreign Service, Mr Gbeho understood that representing one’s country was not simply an assignment, but a sacred trust.
He said for more than five decades, Mr Gbeho carried that responsibility with uncommon professionalism, quiet confidence, and unwavering patriotism.
“Wherever he served, Ghana’s flag flew a little higher because he was represented by a man of exceptional integrity, sound judgments, and remarkable intellect,” the President said.
He reiterated that Mr Gbeho’s decade as Ghana’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 1980 to 1990, remains one of the longest and most distinguished diplomatic postings in Ghana’s history.
He said during a period of profound global change, Mr Gbeho projected Ghana’s voice with dignity, principle, and clarity.
President Mahama said Mr Gbeho earned the respect of colleagues from every region of the world, because he believed that diplomacy was not about winning arguments, but about building understanding, advancing peace, and defending the interests of one’s nation with Ghana.
He said his outstanding service naturally called him to greater responsibility and that as Minister for Foreign Affairs under President Jerry John Rawlings from 1997 to 2001, where he helped shape Ghana’s engagement with a changing world and consolidated their country’s reputation as a respected and principled member of the international community.
Those who worked with Mr Gbeho knew that he brought to every decision a rare combination of wisdom, patience, and absolute fidelity to national interest, President Mahama said.
The President stated that it was during this period that he had the privilege of saving with him in Parliament and although their responsibilities differed, he observed closely the qualities that made the late Mr Gbeho such an exceptional public servant.
President Mahama said Mr Gbeho’s service did not end at the nation’s borders, whether as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, ECOWAS Special Representative for Liberia, or later as President of the ECOWAS Commission, he devoted himself to the difficult work of few buildings and regional integration.
He said even after leaving elective politics, Ghana continued to benefit from Mr Gbeho’s wisdom.
The President said as Foreign Policy Advisor to President John Evans Atta Mills, his former boss of blessed memory, Mr Gbeho remained a trusted counselor, generously placing his vast experience at the service of the republic and never stopped serving because service was not simply what he did, “it was who he was.”
He stated that there were men whose achievements were recorded in official documents, and there were men whose true legacy were written in the confidence they inspire, the institutions they strengthen, and the lives they touch.
“As we bid farewell to this distinguished son of Ghana, we do so with sorrow, but we also with profound gratitude.” the President said.
“We thank God for a life so richly lived, for a career so faithfully dedicated to the country, and for an example that will continue to inspire generations of diplomas and public servants.”
President Mahama said nations were not remembered only for the wealth they accumulated, or the power they wield; “they are remembered for the character of those who serve them, and James Victor Gbeho gave Ghana that character before the world.”
He said though Mr Gbeho’s voice may now be silent, but the respect he earned for Ghana would continue to speak long after his generation had passed.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
July 31, 2026.