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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
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
