Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has welcomed the government’s decision to honour outstanding Ghanaians with diplomatic passports, stressing that recognition should go beyond political office holders.
Reflecting on his experience while in transit abroad, Manasseh recalled, “I saw an aircraft in Belgium with a man’s photograph on the tail of the commercial plane. The man was not a politician or a leader of a country.
He was being celebrated as a famous writer… It warmed my heart that some countries recognized other contributors to their national lives instead of the fixation on politicians, as we see here.”
He noted that Ghana equally has citizens who are putting the country on the global map without political affiliations.
Highlighting one of them, he wrote, “Artist Ibrahim Mahama, for instance, is quietly doing something I cannot summon the right words to extol in this short piece. He’s affecting generations in a way that not many political office holders in the Northern Region could ever do.”
According to him, such individuals deserve the recognition that diplomatic passports represent.
“It, therefore, warms my heart that individuals like him have been given diplomatic passports.
“Beyond the benefit that the passport gives to its holders, the gesture is an encouragement to Ghanaians who are shining the light in their corners with their talents.
“Kudos to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and his team for this initiative,” Manasseh stated.
His remarks followed an announcement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, at the launch of the 2025 Diaspora Summit. Ablakwa revealed that five prominent Ghanaians had been honoured with diplomatic passports under the authority conferred on him by NLCD 155.
“I announced today at the launch of the 2025 Diaspora Summit that based on the authority conferred on the Foreign Minister of Ghana under NLCD 155, we are honoring the following outstanding Ghanaians with Diplomatic Passports… Congratulations; keep bringing Ghana renown,” Ablakwa said.
The recipients include internationally celebrated YouTuber Wodemaya, media entrepreneur Lady Dentaa Amoateng, Grammy-nominated musician Rocky Dawuni, broadcaster Anita Erskine, and acclaimed artist Ibrahim Mahama, whom Ablakwa clarified is “the iconic artist, not President Mahama’s brother.”
