Margaret Ivy Amoakohene was educated at St. Francis Secondary School, Jirapa in the Upper West Region of Ghana and at St. Louis Secondary School, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. She subsequently gained admission to the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra in 1981 and graduated in 1986.

Margaret Ivy Amoakohene holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Mass Communication awarded by the University of Leicester, where she pursued doctoral studies at the Department of Media and Communication incorporating the Centre for Mass Communication Research. Dr Amoakohene also possesses a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree, a Post-graduate Diploma (both in Communication Studies) and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the University of Ghana.

Before her appointment as Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada by His Excellency President John Agyekum Kufuor, Dr Amoakohene taught Public Relations, Qualitative Research Methods and Mass Communication at the graduate level to students of the School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana. Between 1992 and 1996, she taught the same courses to diploma students at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). In the years 2001 and 2004, Dr Amoakohene taught Public Relations to the first batch of students in GIJ pursuing the Bachelors in Mass Communications degree.

Dr Margaret Amoakohene has held many positions in the University of Ghana and in Ghanaian national life serving on several boards and committees. At the University of Ghana, positions she held included Senior Tutor of Mensah Sarbah Hall; Chairperson, Tutorial Board of Mensah Sarbah Hall; Member of the University's Residence Board; Member, Board of the Faculty of Social Studies; Member, Academic Board of the University of Ghana; and Treasurer, University Teachers' Association of Ghana (UTAG), Legon.

Dr Amoakohene actively participated in Ghanaian national discourse, discussions and debates. She formerly served as a member of the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Board of the Ghana News Agency (GNA). Until her appointment as High Commissioner, she was a member of the Bui Development Committee, Board of Directors of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI). She previously served as Honorary Secretary, and Vice-President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana.

In furtherance of her academic career and research interests, Dr Margaret Ivy Amoakohene has participated in and presented papers on various aspects of communication, the environment, the media, public relations, politics, governance, and women and gender at many seminars, workshops and conferences both nationally and internationally. Her publications include the following:

  1. Public Relations and the Law. In K. Karikari & K. Kumado (Eds.), The Law and the Media in Ghana. Legon: School of Communication Studies Press, University of Ghana, 2000, pp 202-215. [ISBN: 9988-8020-0-5]

  2. Police-Public Relations in a Democratic Environment. In The Face and Phases of the Ghana Police. Accra: Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), 2002, pp. 71-91. [ISBN: 9988-8153-0-1]

  3. Focus Group Research: Towards an Applicable Model for Africa. In K. Kwansah-Aidoo (Ed.), Topical Issues in Communications and Media Research. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2005, pp. 173-197. [ISBN: 1594542791]

  4. Violence against Women in Ghana: A look at Women's Perceptions and Review of Policy and Social Responses. Social Science & Medicine 59, 2004, pp. 2373-2385.

  5. Researching Radio Audiences in an Emerging Pluralistic Media Environment: A Case for the Focus Group Discussion Method. African Media Review, 12(2), 2004, pp. 25-40.

  6. An Assessment of Advertising and Sponsorship Trends in the Ghanaian Electronic Media. Ghana Social Science Journal 3(1& 2), 2005, pp. 67-89.

Previously serving as a member of the editorial board of the Media Monitor, a publication sponsored by the National Media Commission, Dr Amoakohene published two articles:

  1. Amoakohene Margaret I. (July-September, 1996). Kufuor heard loud but not clear, Media Monitor, 4:9-10.

  2. Amoakohene Margaret I. (October, 1995). The environment: How much media reporting? Media Monitor, 1:17, 18, 25.

Dr Margaret Ivy Amoakohene is married and has three children: two girls and a boy - Lady Boahene, Kofi Amoakohene and Nana Yaa Ampofowaa Amoakohene.



Mr. Francis Danti Kotia, had his secondary education at Bolgatanga and Navrongo Secondary Schools in the Upper East Region of Ghana where he obtained his GCE Ordinary and Advanced level Certificates respectively.

He attended the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi where he obtained his B.A. (Hons.) degree in Social Science (Sociology and Law) in 1994. The officer also holds a M.A. degree in International Affairs from the Legon Centre for International Affairs (Lecia) and a post-graduate certificate in Professional Diplomacy from the Indian Foreign Service Institute (New Delhi).

Mr. Francis D. Kotia, joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 1997. While there he served in various bureaux of the Ministry including: The Middle East and Asia Bureau, Policy Planning and Monitoring Bureau, Finance and Accounts Bureau and the Africa and AU Bureau. The officer had previously served in Ghana’s Mission in Tel Aviv, in the capacity of a First Secretary.

Mr.Kotia is currently a Minister–Counsellor of the Ghana High Commission in Ottawa, and the Mission’s Head of Chancery.

The officer is married with three children.



Mr. Kwadwo T. Addo was educated at Aquinas and Tema Secondary Schools, and holds an M.Sc degree in Industrial Economy from the University of Economics, Varna, Bulgaria. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998.

Mr. Addo's previous postings were to the Ghana High Commission, London, from 2000 to 2002, and Ghana High Commission, Pretoria, from 2002 to 2004.



Lillian Cynthia Osei-Hwere (née Bonaparte) was born on January 8 1974. She was educated at Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Secondary School, Kumasi; St. Mary's Secondary School, Accra, and the University of Ghana, Legon, where she studied Political Science from 1993 to 1997.

After graduating from the University of Ghana in June 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Political Science, Lillian did her National Service at the Office of the President before enrolling at the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA) in 1998 to pursue graduate studies. She successfully graduated in 1999 with a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs.

Mrs. Osei-Hwere started her working career at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation in 2001 as an Assistant Director at the Research Division. In 2002, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Foreign Service Office (FSO) A5 and was assigned to the Economic, Trade and Investment Bureau in charge of the European desk.

In 2003, Lillian was reassigned to the Protocol Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with duties including: Representation of the Ministry on external committees involving official visits; Privileges and Immunity for the Diplomatic Corps; Coordinating National Day celebrations of the Diplomatic Corps; Events Organization and General Protocol.

At the invitation of the Spanish Government, Lillian and four other officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in an Advanced Diplomacy Course in Madrid, Spain in 2003.

In 2004, Lillian was seconded to the Office of the First Lady as Personal Assistant to H.E. the First Lady, where she was in charge of Administration, Management and Protocol. Lillian was promoted FSO A4 in 2005 and in September 2006, was posted to the Ghana High Commission in Ottawa, Canada. She is a First Secretary / Political and Economical Affaires.

Mrs. Lillian Osei-Hwere is married to Richmond Osei-Hwere. They have a daughter, Desiree Osei-Hwere.



Mr. Yaw Asa Yirenkyi was educated at the Ghana Secondary School, Koforidua. He has benefitted from a series of training programmes organized by the Foreign Ministry and the Public Services Commission of Ghana after joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976. He has worked at various bureaux at the Ministry.

Prior to his posting to Ottawa, he served at the Ghana High Commission in Lagos, Nigeria, and at the Ghana High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.



Ms. Baaba Apaloo was educated at Holy Child School, Cape Coast, and the Government Secretarial School, Cantonments, Accra. After working in various establishments for a number of years, Ms. Apaloo joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987. She has worked at the various divisions of the Ghana Foreign Service.

Prior to her posting to Ottawa, she served at the Embassy of Ghana in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and at the Embassy of Ghana in Copenhagen, Denmark. She enjoys reading.