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Remember Avi …The ‘passengers mate’
Remember Avi a female Conductor on duty
Persons that use the Ashaiman Traffic Light Trotro Station in the Ashaiman Municipality, are likely to be familiar with the activities of a female Conductor (Driver’s mate) called Remember Avi.
The 18-year-old second year student of Likpe Senior High School(SHS) in the Volta Region is very popular among commuters from Ashaiman to Tema with her unique way of calling passengers with additional roles of carrying their loads on the vehicle.
She described her job from the Ashaiman Traffic Light to the Tema Community Centre bus stop as an interesting one that at the same time came with challenges in various forms.
When The Spectator caught up with her last Saturday, Ms Avi disclosed that it was her biological father’s decision to get on board the Urvan bus with registration number GT- 9701-10 to work as a ‘mate.’
Her father is the driver of the vehicle.
She said the vehicle which was the main source of income for the family, however, broke down for over two years and plunged the family into financial distress.
“Luck smiled on us when we finally managed to have it repaired and returned to the road over a month ago. My father proposed that I should be the conductor so that we can save some money to be used to pay a mate from outside,” she added.
According to Ms Avi, she was into the bus conductor work for just two reasons – in obedience as a sign of respect for her father and secondly, to raise some money to support her education when she goes back to school.
It may look an unfortunate situation to the young female student but for her, it has been a good omen, as it has brought her closer to her father.
In her view, there was nothing to be ashamed of since that was regularly providing their daily bread.
On some of the challenges she faced on daily basis, Ms Avi said some passengers go to the extent of disrespecting her while others try to bully her simply because she is a lady.
“It happens very often but I see it as an occupational hazard. On my part, I try to treat every passenger, regardless of their ages with respect. I need to be respectful because this is just a phase of my life. I may find myself somewhere not knowing who I meet for help; so I hold all in high esteem,” she said.
Ms Avi’s 47-year-old father, Wisdom Avi, described his daughter as very respectful and feel blessed to have her.
“She warmly accepted my request to be my conductor. That will help us to save some money. It is considered a preserve for men so a lot of people try to make fun of her,” he said.
“I am a single parent with two children. Remember is the eldest; the other is a boy. I have been with her since age six when my marriage ended up in a divorce,” he added.
Mr Avi, who is a resident of Ashaiman Tulaku, said he was happy his daughter was helping him to save money and promised that if things got better for the family, he would reward her appropriately.
By Dzifa Tetteh Tay
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
