Odoi-Sykes: Tears As Diplomat Is Confirmed Dead, Okudzeto Ablakwa’s Heartfelt Tribute Moves Many

• Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa received the family of the late diplomat Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes on Friday, October 15, 2026
• Odoi-Sykes served as Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada from 2001 to 2006 and was a former National Chairman of the NPP
• NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin both paid tribute to the late statesman

Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes, a distinguished Ghanaian diplomat and veteran politician who served as National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, has passed away, drawing an outpouring of tributes from some of Ghana's most senior public figures.

On Friday, October 15, 2026, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa welcomed representatives of the Odoi-Sykes family to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The family visited to formally notify the minister and his colleagues of the statesman's passing.

Writing on X following the meeting, Ablakwa described the late Odoi-Sykes as an exceptional diplomat who had served Ghana with distinction.

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He noted that Odoi-Sykes held the position of High Commissioner to Canada between 2001 and 2006, and had earlier served as Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1972.

"The departed statesman was also a former Minority Leader in the Third Republic and National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party. I conveyed my personal and the Ministry's deepest condolences to the family and assured of the Foreign Ministry's support in this sad period. Ghana's Foreign Service has lost a gem. May his soul rest in peace," Ablakwa wrote.

The Facebook post below contains Okudzeto Ablakwa’s tribute to the late Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes, former High Commissioner to Canada, former Minority Leader and founding member of the NPP.

NPP announces the passing of Founding member

The NPP had announced the death of Odoi-Sykes in an official statement signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong on Wednesday, October 8.

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NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia paid tribute on Facebook, writing that Odoi-Sykes:

"Holds an honoured place in our history, having led the Party to its first general election victory in the Fourth Republic in 2000. His service to the Party and country will long be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones."

Minority Leader remembers Odoi-Sykes

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin also issued a statement honouring the late chairman, describing him as belonging to "that remarkable generation of patriots who understood that democracy must be built with extraordinary courage, defended with unshakable conviction and sustained through selfless sacrifice."

Afenyo-Markin acknowledged that Odoi-Sykes's tenure as Minority Leader was cut short by the military overthrow of Ghana's Third Republic and the abolition of Parliament in 1981, but noted that his commitment to parliamentary democracy never wavered.

The Minority Leader added that Odoi-Sykes helped steer the NPP to its landmark electoral victory in 2000, contributing to a peaceful democratic transfer of power that reinforced the foundations of Ghana's Fourth Republic.

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"His life reminds us that the highest measure of public service is not how long we occupy positions of authority, but how faithfully we serve the ideals that give those positions meaning," Afenyo-Markin stated, extending condolences to the Odoi-Sykes family and the broader Danquah-Busia-Dombo fraternity.

All about diplomat Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes, one of Ghana's most distinguished statesmen and a founding pillar of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), passed away on October 5, 2026, at the age of 98, just two years short of his centenary.

The news sent shockwaves through the country, particularly within the NPP, which had only hours earlier concluded one of its most orderly and peaceful internal national elections.

Among those who paid tribute was the party's flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who expressed immense sorrow at the loss.

Source: YEN.com.gh