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Elizabeth Sackey @50: Inspiring journey from Secretarial desk to world of wines, Kente
Life does not always hand you a script, but you always control how you write the next chapter.
That is the story of Mrs Elizabeth Sackey, affectionately called Liz Sackey, a woman who refused to be put in a box, trading her secretarial desk for the vibrant worlds of global wine and traditional Kente.
Her journey proves that whenever life pushes you, you can use that momentum to leap into greatness.
Born on Friday, June 11, 1976, in New Achimota, Elizabeth inherited a perfect mix of corporate strategy and perseverance.
Her father, Benjamin Ayivor, was a Marketing Officer for Ghana Airways, while her mother, Janet Ayivor, was an enterprising businesswoman. This combination of global vision and local trade ran deep in her DNA.
Her journey began at Greenhill International School, and later to Mfantsiman Girls Secondary School, Saltpond where she completed her secondary school education.
Soon after, she built her professional foundation at Dard Secretariat School in Accra New Town.
For three years, Elizabeth kept things running smoothly at a fast-paced law firm. Around this time, she also got married to Chief Eng. Daniel Nii Ayi Sackey, Head of Marine Engineering, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, with whom she has a daughter.
But Elizabeth wanted more out of life. Balancing a busy life, she went back to school which then pushed her forward into Regent University, graduating with a degree in Banking and Finance in 2009.
After her National Service in the accounts office of the Volta River Authority (VRA), she and her husband took off to travel overseas many times.
Travel changes you, and for Elizabeth, it sparked a business empire. While exploring global cities, she fell in love with how international shops organised their wines by country of origin.
When she one day stepped off the plane back in Ghana, she did not look for another desk job. Instead, she took a leap of faith and launched Wines of the World Enterprise, bringing that experience straight to Accra.
Entrepreneur by day, scholar by night. She balanced the hustle of business with rigorous study at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to earn her Master’s in Development Management.
Her passion for heritage later pulled her into Ghana’s rich textile industry, where she successfully broke into the world of premium Kente.
“Thirteen years into my entrepreneurial journey, a simple gift of wine and family-woven Kente sparked a brand-new passion,” she discloses to The Spectator.
What started as casual curiosity grew into a deeply fulfilling venture dedicated to sharing Ghana’s rich cultural heritage with the world.
By sharing iconic, masterfully crafted designs like ‘Ewdenisiedwenisu,’ (a beautiful, and complex mix of many different patterns), Emerepa (a distinct collection of traditional structures), and the regal Obaama cloth, she is driving Ghana’s cultural tourism straight into the global spotlight.
After transforming that single baby gift into a thriving venture, she has taken Ghana’s rich heritage far beyond to local borders.
“I help people globally to choose the perfect colours for their most sacred occasions, using tradition to boost our national tourism. So far, so good,” she declares with pride.”
By introducing the vibrant art of Kente to international audiences, especially those who had admired the fabric from afar but had never actually worn it, she is proving that culture is Ghana’s greatest global asset.
Mrs Elizabeth Sackey firmly believes that if the nation heavily champions the Kente industry, it will skyrocket Ghana’s cultural tourism to incredible new heights.
“The future of Kente is bright and wide,” she states with absolute conviction. International travellers are no longer just admiring the fabric; they want to wrap themselves in it.
“Pairing an intricately designed Kente with a bold, plain Kente is the ultimate secret,” she reveals with a smile.
For her, styling clients is not just part of the job, it is a natural gift. The moment a client mentions their colour, her creative instincts take over. She freely guides people to their perfect match, ensuring that every vibrant shade shines beautifully for their special occasion without overwhelming the eye.
“Choosing the Kente is one thing, but finding the right person to sew it is an entirely different battle,” she points out.
For her, ensuring a flawless final look means going the extra mile. She frequently steps in to consult directly with fashion designers, dictating the exact style and required yard to protect the fabric’s integrity. It is a meticulous, hands-on approach born out of necessity.
Despite the immense fulfillment of her textile venture, her journey has been paved with steep hurdles to surmount.
“When the rains fall, the looms slow down and that is just the beginning of the battle,” she reveals.
She says the rainy season brings severe production delays, making bulk orders of complex designs a test of patience. Worse than the weather, however, is the threat of cultural theft. Shoddy imitators and opportunistic businessmen are stealing sacred Kente patterns like ‘Meba wo abrokyire’ (My child lives abroad) and printing them cheaply onto ordinary cloth.
Fiercely protective of Ghana’s heritage, she is calling on the government to step in, secure the borders, and legally halt the mass piracy of Ghana’s intellectual property.
Liz Sackey is a proud member of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC). She enjoys unwinding in the kitchen, cooking to the rhythm of her favourite music.
Turning 50 has only amplified her mission to inspire the next generation, sending a powerful wake-up call to the youth to stop being idle.
“The future is bright so grab the massive opportunities waiting for you and boldly venture into new fields,” she advises.
By Georgina Quaittoo
He once sold kenkey to pay his school fees, and now wears the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. DCOP Kofi Sarpong, police officer and award winning gospel musician is charting a journey few could script.
In an interview with The Spectator chronicling his rise, the newly promoted DCOP took us on his journey through the ranks.
Early Life
“I was born in Berekum in the Bono Region, then Brong Ahafo, to Comfort Yeboah, affectionately called Maame Yaa, and the late Chief Inspector Kofi Sarpong,” he said.
His family story is one of resilience. His mother had two children before her husband died in an accident. She later married Kofi Sarpong’s father, a police officer, and had two more, himself and his junior brother. “So we are four, unfortunately one is deceased, just last year, so we are three now.”
School and struggle
He started at Berekum Methodist Primary under the old ‘Sito’ system. In Form Two, he moved to Obuasi to stay with a guardian for his Form Three education, then returned to Berekum for Form Four. He later attended Berekum Senior High School where he studied General Arts and shone as an athlete, a sprinter in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay.
After O-Levels, his batch was the last to write the exams, his dream was to become a teacher because of his love for children. But financial hardship forced a detour.
“I decided to help myself by going to buy maize and started preparing kenkey to sell at lorry parks and markets in Berekum,” he recalled.
According to him, the people from Berekum know this story. “I can make all types of kenkey, Fante Kenkey, Ga Komi and others. Don’t be surprised to see Kofi Sarpong Kenkey one day.” The proceeds paid his upkeep.
For this reason, he advised the youth “Don’t see life as a smooth journey but find something prudent to do to help yourself in difficult times.”
After grinding his education to a halt due to financial challenges, he now holds a Degree in Public Administration from GIMPA, a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy and Project Management, plus other higher certificates, with more in the offing.
The Police Call
When teaching did not materialise immediately, he moved to stay with his father at Osu, Accra. In 1994, he visited former IGP Nana Owusu-Nsia at Police Headquarters, who told about ongoing police enlistment.
In his head he declined, but outwardly he accepted to try reluctantly. Later, watching TV news and seeing long queues of young people aspiring to join the Police, he was inspired to reconsider.
He went to Berekum for his certificate. Accra enlistment had closed, so he joined the Kumasi exercise. He was selected, passed the exams and went to the Koforidua Police Training School, Galloway. After passing out, he was posted to the Logistics Unit at Police Headquarters.
At Headquarters, a senior officer encouraged young constables to further their education. He took a course in Purchasing and Supply via distance learning from a UK institution. 
Upon completion, the Police administration promoted him from Constable Class One to Chief Inspector, a leap that paved the way for him to enrol at the Police Academy. He graduated as ASP, and the climb to DCOP began.
“The officer corps starts from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) from the cadet,” he explained. “When you graduate from the Police Academy, you are awarded ASP, and you move to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), that’s when I released album to start my music career professionally.”
From there, he rose to Superintendent of Police (SP), Chief Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and now Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP). Next is Commissioner of Police (COP).
Music found him in Sudan
On peacekeeping duty in Sudan, officers from different nations came together to hold fellowship led by a Nigerian officer. In December that year, with top-ranked officers present, Kofi Sarpong led the service to the admiration of all.
On his return to Ghana, a Colonel, who was a Matron at 37 Military Hospital and a member of the 37 Methodist-Presbyterian Church invited him to their harvest service. He ministered, and as he stepped out of church, a man approached him with an offer to record him. He declined.
Days later, at the office, the man, Ernest Kwesi, who owned Media Excel Production sent an elderly man to pursue him. He still declined. This compelled Ernest Kwesi himself to visit him at the office. “He told me he had seen something in me.”
Just after Ernest Kwesi left,Kofi Sarpong wrote to then Director General/Welfare, Mohammed Alhassan, and Paul Tawiah Quaye the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at the time. “He opened the letter and said he had been waiting all this while because he had seen me perform at police officers’ events.”
He was summoned to the IGP’s office, a call which scared him, however, it was a good news; his request was approved. Against this backdrop, he informed Ernest Kwesi who quickly visited that evening with highlife musician Akwaboah Jnr., who taught him his first song, ‘Me ko nso hw3 mu’, and they went to the studio.
A song earlier recorded in reggae by Zapp Mallet was totally transformed by Nacee, so they released both versions on the album. Nacee, he says, hugely supported promotion, as did Mark Okraku-Mantey.
He also acknowledge Oware Jnr. who also wrote songs for him.
After his maiden album’s success, police leadership congratulated him. He says he is happy to have inspired other officers to write to the Service to pursue other interests.
An autobiography, he reveals, is in the offing.
Family and food
He is married to Mrs Salomey Sarpong with three children, two boys and a girl: Nana Nketiah, Maame Afia Yeboah Sarpong and Papa Kwabena Aseda Sarpong.
His hobbies are watching athletics and being with family. His favourite foods are fufu and konkonte with groundnut soup.
On music, he teased a collaboration with a top Nigerian artiste, promising fans “hot praises” soon.
He concluded by thanking Ghanaians for their support since his promotion, and thanked the Inspector General of Police for his guidance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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WHEN some of her pupils failed to show up at school, Mary Adotei did not always assume they were absent. Sometimes, she went looking for them.
In the communities where she taught, getting a child into the classroom could require more than preparing lessons. Mrs Adotei remembers occasions when she had to visit the homes of pupils, bathe them, prepare them and bring them to school herself.
“There were times I had to go to the homes of some of the children, bathe them and bring them to school,” she recalled.
It is a memory that captures much of her journey over the years as a teacher, a profession she entered without knowing it would become central to her identity.
Now, after years of working with children and communities, Mrs Adotei is taking lessons from the classroom into a new arena.
She is contesting the position of Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa (AOB) Constituency in the Central Region, hoping to use her experience working with people to contribute to the welfare of women in the constituency.
But her story begins in the classroom.
After completing her basic and secondary education, Mrs Adotei spent 12 years working as a pupil teacher before she had the opportunity to receive professional training.
In 2006, she entered Fosu College of Education and completed her training in 2011 with a Diploma in Basic Education.
She returned to the classroom and has remained there since, teaching in different communities before moving to her current school, Catholic Boys Basic School in Breman Asikuma, in 2019.
The years have given her a front-row seat to the transformation education can bring.
Some of the children she once taught have grown into professionals, carrying the lessons they learnt in her classroom into hospitals, schools, offices and other workplaces.
Mrs Adotei said she had encountered former pupils who were now doctors, nurses, teachers and even a lawyer.
For a teacher, she said, such moments bring a special kind of satisfaction and reinforce the reason she remains passionate about education.
Her journey, however, has not been without difficult moments.
Teaching in local communities sometimes meant dealing with circumstances that went beyond academic work. Some pupils needed encouragement, personal attention and practical help before they could even settle down to learn.
Those experiences taught her that the challenges confronting people cannot always be solved from a distance. That understanding has followed her into her political activities.
Mrs Adotei has been involved in the NDC for years and previously served as a branch treasurer. She has also supported women in her branch, including assisting some to access medical treatment and providing help to families when the need arose.
She is now making her third attempt at becoming the constituency’s Women’s Organiser.
Her motivation is linked to what she has seen around her.
Mrs Adotei wants women in the constituency to have access to skills and opportunities that can help them become more economically independent.
She believes her years as a teacher have prepared her for the work, too, because the profession has taught her to listen, communicate, understand different circumstances and work patiently with people.
For her, the transition from teacher to political organiser is therefore not a complete departure from the path she has followed.
The classroom taught her to work with individuals. Politics, she hopes, will give her the opportunity to work with a wider group of women.
If elected, Mrs Adotei intends to continue teaching while taking up her political responsibilities. She said she would organise her time to attend meetings and constituency activities without abandoning her duties to her pupils.
Away from school and politics, she is a wife and mother of two sons who are pursuing their degrees at university.
Her message to young girls is shaped by everything she has seen education do for the children she has taught.
For Mrs Adotei, education remains one of the strongest tools available to young people, especially girls seeking to build better futures.
She wants them to stay in school, pursue further education and acquire skills that will prepare them for the future.
“Nowadays, you cannot go forward without education,” she said.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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