From a career in the maritime industry to the highest traditional office for women in the Avatime Traditional Area, Emma Adzo Maana Dugboryele has begun a new chapter of service as Onetsitsie Osei Yawa IX, Paramount Queen Mother of Avatime.
Born on July 16, 1984, at the Tema General Hospital, she is the daughter of the late Ruben Kofi Dugboryele of the Odomgbohe Clan of Avatime Vane and Elizabeth Yawa Dugboryele, née Kwadam, of the Ohlupome Clan of Avatime Vane.
The youngest of six children, she grew up in Tema, where she had her education and built a professional career before being called into traditional leadership.
Her journey to the stool, however, came unexpectedly during the final rites of her predecessor, Onetsitsie Osei Yawa VIII.
From Tema to Avatime
Onetsitsie Osei Yawa IX began her education at RO Sharon Nursery School in Tema before continuing to Community 4 No. 2 GTP Primary School and Republic Road Junior High School, where she completed her basic education in 1999.
She proceeded to Tema Methodist Day Senior High School, where she studied General Arts and completed her secondary education in 2002.
She subsequently enrolled at the International School of Aviation in Tema, where she studied Shipping Management.
In 2013, she furthered her professional development with a certificate course in Customer Service Management at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Her working life began in 2004 as a receptionist at Amical Hotel in Tema.
A year later, she joined Omar Oil Limited as Company Secretary, a position she held until 2009.
She then joined Supermaritime Ghana Limited as a Crew Change Officer in the Operations Department.
Through the years, she rose through the ranks to become Head of Crew Change in the Operations Department at the company’s airport office at Kotoka International Airport.
Her professional journey has therefore largely been outside the traditional institution she now leads, giving her rich experience in administration, operations and people management.
The Call to Traditional Leadership
The transition from professional life in Tema to traditional leadership in Avatime came during a visit to Avatime Vane in September 2026.
On Thursday, September 24, she arrived in Avatime Vane to participate in the final funeral rites and burial ceremony of the late Onetsitsie Osei Yawa VIII.
The following morning, September 25, she joined members of the Avatime Royal Ladies in a cultural dance and singing performance at the Community Centre, where the funeral rites were being held.
Immediately after the performance, she returned to her seat.
It was then that an elder poured a white clay mixture on her, marking the beginning of the initiation and installation process that would make her the successor to Onetsitsie Osei Yawa VIII.
That moment transformed what had begun as participation in a traditional ceremony into the beginning of a new chapter of leadership.
She was subsequently installed as *Onetsitsie Osei Yawa IX*, Paramount Queen Mother of the Avatime Traditional Area.
A Life Connected to Avatime
Although she has lived and worked largely in Tema, her family background is deeply rooted in Avatime.
Her father, Ruben Kofi Dugboryele, was from the Odomgbohe Clan of Avatime Vane, while her mother, Elizabeth Yawa Dugboryele, hails from the Ohlupome Clan, also of Avatime Vane.
Her installation therefore brings her professional experience and personal heritage together in a new role within the traditional area.
Beyond her professional and traditional responsibilities, Onetsitsie Osei Yawa IX is a member of the Hospitality Group of Winners Chapel, Tema Community 12 Branch.
She is also an active member of Premier Tennis Club in Tema Community 12, Avatime Royal Ladies and Authentic Ladies in Tema Community 7.
She is married with three children — two boys and a girl.
A New Chapter of Service
The installation of Onetsitsie Osei Yawa IX marks a significant transition in her life — from a professional career in maritime and aviation-related operations to traditional leadership.
Her background has been shaped by education, professional progression, community associations and strong family links to Avatime.
Now, as Paramount Queen Mother, her challenge will be to bring those experiences to bear on a traditional institution and contribute to the affairs of the Avatime Traditional Area.
For a woman who spent much of her working life in Tema before returning to Avatime for a funeral, the events of September 2026 have created a remarkable bridge between her professional life and her ancestral roots.
The journey from Emma Adzo Maana Dugboryele to Onetsitsie Osei Yawa IX is ultimately a story of heritage, unexpected responsibility and a new call to service.
By Eric Mawuena Egbeta
