The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament has revealed that he met the young lady, who later became his wife, for the first time in a commercial bus (Trotro) whiles working as a conductor (Driver’s mate).

Joseph Osei-Owusu said, “she was a passenger on the bus”. She sat right in front of him on her way to school.

He made this revelation during an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express Personality Profile on Friday, June 25.

The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, affectionately called Joe Wise, further explained that, “her school was on the Cape Coast high way by then, and the major bridge from her end had collapsed so they had to go to Obuasi before they connect to Dompoase. That’s where she went to school.”

According to the First Deputy Speaker, his shy nature prevented him from initiating a conversation with the lady.

“I was sitting in the ‘trotro’; she was sitting right in front of me but I was shy. I couldn’t talk to her,” he said.

But he eventually asked of her name and that’s how their friendship began.

“She started a conversation with a mechanic travelling with us and she was able to express her thoughts well. So I joined in the conversation and asked of her name. She said she was going to school here. That’s how we became friends and continued,” he stated. 

According to him, he worked as a conductor on his father’s ‘totro’ for eight months.

“I was a driver’s mate after 6th Form for almost 8 months. After 6th Form we were home, we were supposed to have gotten admission into the university. I filled my form, we were supposed to go to the university on 24^th October then we heard the announcement that the reopening had been postponed indefinitely.

“So we were just hanging around and then one morning my father said, ‘Joe if you are not doing anything at home why don’t you join the trotro?’. He had a mummy truck being used for commercial purposes, passenger services, from Bekwai to Obuasi, Obuasi to Kumasi sometimes,” he explained.

Mr Osei-Owusu added that he was always filled with excitement whenever he worked on his dad’s truck growing up.

“I happily joined him and I loved it. That is where I learnt to drive and I also learnt a lot about driver behaviour.  For almost 8 months every morning, I will go with them. Plus it also ensured that there was always money in my pocket.