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Celebrating gallant fathers: Meet Mr. Fredrick Odartey Golightly – CEO, The Chef Palace
● He is passionate about his craft
On the occasion of Father’s Day men who go the extra mile to provide for their families are acknowledged.
As we congratulate and celebrate gallant fathers, The Spectator puts the spotlight on Mr. Fredrick Odartey Golightly, who has for the past 25 years operated a local restaurant at Kaneshie in Accra.
His resolve to succeed at what he does, in spite of setbacks, fits the aphorism: “A successful man is one who lays a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.”
INSPIRATION
Speaking about progress made over the years, he said turning a hobby to a lucrative business was “the best decision” he had ever made.
“My mum Grace Kwamah was a bar operator and people patronised her business anytime I prepared sausage and meat for sale. I had the passion for experimenting different meals and always loved to cook even though my mother did not need a helping hand.
“Watching documentaries about cooking on television also motivated me to follow my dreams and passions,” he noted.
Mr. Golightly said his parents had wanted him to become an accountant so he enrolled at a private accounting school at Kaneshie but when an uncle spoke about taking him abroad, he thought of acquiring a skill that would help him gain employment quickly when he travelled.
This, therefore, led him to enroll at a catering school at Mamprobi. Upon graduation from the course, he worked with some local restaurants before deciding to operate his own eatery in 1988.
Mr. Golightly subsequently abandoned the idea of migrating abroad and continued to serve his numerous clients with both continental and local dishes in Accra, and has trained over 60 individuals who have also gone ahead to start their own businesses.
ROUTINE
Talking about his daily work, the hardworking chef, said his day began after setting off early in the morning to procure fresh foodstuffs from Kaneshie market.
“I am always in the kitchen preparing meals because I want things to be done neatly and properly under my supervision” he noted.
Aside the nutritious meals he serves, he said his prices were relatively cheap and that had helped him attract more clients throughout the years.
The Chief Executive Officer of The Chef Palace makes good use of delivery services in order to meet the needs of his clients.
According to him, he had been operating three separate food joints which were running smoothly until 2020 when COVID-19 set in. He currently manages one and continues to serve his clients in spite of what he described as increasing cost of operations.
FUTURE
He indicated that there was good return in the local catering business and that explains why lot of people continued to invest in the sector.
“Tasty foods must be the hallmark of an operator. Operating a local restaurant is not an easy business. It is time consuming and requires less sleep.
“It is very profitable when managed well because I have been able to do a lot for my family and children,” he said.
Mr. Golightly is impressed that more men were venturing into the food and catering business compared with the days when it was deemed a “woman’s business.”
“I am always excited anytime I see men in the business because in my hay days, there were only few of us in the business,” he said.
ADVICE
The father of five said young people should follow their passion and acquire a skill aside the lessons taught in the classroom as there were more opportunities for employment aside white-collar jobs.
Born to Grace Kwamah and Robert Golghtly, the 50-year-old chef hails from James Town and lives at Bubiashie. He has five siblings. For his hobbies, he prefers researching new recipes and trying new meals.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
