Samuel Odoi-Sykes

Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes is a Ghanaian politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada from 2001 to 2006 and Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1972. He was National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party from 1998 to 2001 during which the party won its first presidential victory. In the Third Republic, he was Member of Parliament for Ashiedu Keteke (Accra Central) from 1979 to 1981 and Minority Leader of Parliament from 1980 to 1981.

Early life Samuel Arthur Odoi Sykes was born in Accra. He was educated at Accra Academy, graduating as a member of the class of 1948. He matriculated at University of Ghana, graduating with a B.A. in History in 1959. Whilst at university, he founded and became leader of the student wing of the United Party from 1957 to 1959 and general secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students from 1958 to 1959. Odoi-Sykes studied law at the University of London and qualified as a Barrister-at-Law at the Inner Temple before being admitted to the Ghana bar. Odoi-Sykes also received a diploma in American Foreign Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C. In 1963, he was re-attached to be responsible for public relations in Ghana's Embassy in Washington, D.C. as Press Attaché. He was Director of Information Services Department in the United States and the Caribbean. He was subsequently appointed Director of the Overseas Information Directorate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra.

Odoi-Sykes served as Minister Counselor and Deputy Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Moscow. He was Deputy High Commissioner in London until the 1972 Ghanaian coup which saw the shutdown of the Ghanaian diplomatic mission in London. After this, Odoi-Sykes served as a senior administrative officer in the Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

Odoi-Sykes was a founding member of the Popular Front Party and selected as parliamentary candidate for Ashiedu Keteke Constituency (Accra Central).

From October 2001, Odoi-Sykes was Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada, Ottawa after being nominated by President John Kufuor. He served in this capacity until 2006 when he was replaced by Margaret Amoakohene.