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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.

Fredrick in the kitchen
Fredrick in the kitchen

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

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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.

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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.

Fredrick Odartey Golightly
Fredrick Odartey Golightly

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.

The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.

This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.

“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.

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It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.

“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.

 By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu

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Entertainment

Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey

• Mark Okraku Mantey
• Mark Okraku Mantey

 Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed con­cern over the manner the facility was destroyed.

In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.

“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the peo­ple destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.

When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.

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He said he had previously con­tacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.

The demolition of the 20,000-seat­er Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.

According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limit­ed, the action was taken after multiple notic­es were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.

Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.

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Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.

He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.

Despite this, the demolition pro­ceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.

Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his busi­ness but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.

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