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Let’s change the narrative – George Quaye tells ATWAG
Newly inducted President of Arts and Tourism Writers Association of Ghana (ATWAG), George Nii Armah Quaye who is the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Image Bureau and host of Showbiz A to Z on Joy FM has urged to help change the narrative in their practice.
According to him the “time has come for members of the association to take up their rightful place in scheme of affairs by focusing on petinent issues.”
He made this call at the Handing Over and End of Year ceremony held on Saturday, January 15, 2022, at the Accra Tourist Information Centre.
Mr.Quaye who took over from Mr.William Asiedu, said there should be re-orientation and dedicated effort to highlight the country’s tourism and creative arts potential.
“The interesting connect is the fact that Mass media itself was birthed from culture! From the need to say something, share something, to tell a story!
So I ask you my Arts & Tourism Journalists, are you telling our story? If yes, exactly which story and how are you telling it?,” he quizzed.
He said, the creative industry in Ghana covered 10 main domains namely: visual arts, performing arts, cultural sites, traditional cultural expressions, publishing, new media, design, creative services, music and audio visuals.
Mr.Quaye noted that currently apart from music and movies and to a lesser extent heritage sites and visual arts, the other domains in the Creative Industry basket could arguably be likened to lesser-known sport. He added that the media has simply not shed enough light on it.
“We must change this and during my term, we will work together to change this narrative,” he said.
He said, that together with leadership the group would work beyond the welfare by collaborating with relevant agencies.
He thanked the outgoing executives for their dedication to the association in bringing it to its current stage.
Mr. Prince Osisiadan, a lawyer, who conducted the ceremony also urged members of ATWAG to be wary of defamatory stories that may land them in trouble.
ATWAG elected new executive committee members on December 17, 2021, for which George Nii Armah Quaye, was voted President.
Other executives are Livingstone Lotsu, Vice-President, Hagar Gyebuwaa Owusu, Treasurer, Rebekah Awuah, Secretary,Vera Adu-Amaning, Organiser,Stanley Awuku Wilson, Research Officer, Gloria Akpene-Acquah, Public Relations Officer.
The Arts and Tourism Writers Association of Ghana (ATWAG) is an association of Ghanaian arts writers/journalists and media workers.
It is aimed at promoting arts, tourism and culture reporting in Ghana while developing the professional capacity and welfare of its members.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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
