In Defence Of Tsatsu Tsikata

By Nana Akua Tweneboah-Koduah

September 4, 2013

Of all the NPP critics who have jumped on the lead counsel of the NDC, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, for expressing his gut feeling on Justice Anim Yeboah’s political biases, the one who annoys me most is Lawyer Sam Okudzeto.

Nobody knows what Sam Okudzeto wants or is looking to achieve, but suddenly he is all over pretending as if he loves Ghana more than anybody else. But if there is anybody who harbours divisive tendencies that can tear the country apart, it is no other person than Sam Okudzeto.

Do you remember that Sam Okudzeto who perhaps is looking for his last hurray in public life could not hide his blinded NPP colours even at a National Peace Summit held on Friday July 19, 2013.

At that summit which was organized to sensitise Ghanaians on the need to adopt peace during and after the Supreme Court verdict on the 2012 Election petition case, Sam Okudzeto disgracefully stated that, “So my brothers and sisters, the law is quite clear. The law is laid down. Judgment will be given and whatever way it goes, we must all accept it. If you are holding office and they say you can no longer hold office because that is what the law says, what must you do? Accept it! That’s as simple as that. That is the only way we can live in peace and tranquillity.”

Mr Okudzeto ended his distasteful comments at the peace summit when he indicated that, “The law says the results must be declared at the polling station. After it has been declared, then it must be entered on the pink sheet. And then it must be signed by the presiding officer but also by the agents of the political parties so it becomes an authentic document. So if the correct thing is not done, it means those sheets are not valid.”

Look at such a man who has the audacity to criticise Tsatsu Tsikata for expressing his views on the petition case. By the way is Sam Okudzeto a member of the NPP legal team? Tsatsu Tsikata was involved in the case, so he has every right to comment on the case.

Before Tsikata’s comments on the petition case, this same Sam Okudzeto also went ballistic when Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur derided the decision of the NPP to challenge the legality of President John Mahama in court.

The Vice President in an interview after the verdict wondered why the nine Justices were not unanimous in throwing out the case. But strangely enough Sam Okudzeto had issues with the comments by the Vice President.

Sam Okudzeto who was disappointed with the verdict and was terribly licking his wounds did not want the Vice President to rejoice, and stated childishly that the fact that four of the nine Justices agreed with the petitioners on three instances was a testimony that the petitioners case cannot be treated flippantly.

But whether four of the Justices agreed with the NPP or not, the fact remains that majority of the Justices saw that the NPP has a bogus case and therefore dismissed it. Period!

Coming to the comments made by Tsatsu Tsikata, I can say with all certainty that he has every right under the sun to disagree with a member of the SC. But to Sam Okudzeto because the NPP has lost the case and they were in mournful moods, the comments made by Mr Tsatsu Tsikata were inappropriate.

Hear Sam Okudzeto in his own words, “A lot of people who have lost the case will be hurt and those who have won will be rejoicing and this is a time for us to find a way of reconciling the nation.”

Does Sam Okudzeto know anything about reconciling the nation? And he got the audacity to chastise President Mahama to step down if the SC says so when the case was not yet determined?

Please hear Sam Okudzeto again on comments by Tsatsu Tsikata, “I think it is very sad, I think I as a lawyer will never do that. I won’t allow even a lay man to say that how much more a lawyer, because he says he is a law teacher, I’m also a law teacher.” Sam Okudzeto claims he is a law teacher, yet goes to a peace summit and goofs with his terrible comments on the petition case.

What even irks me the most is the call by Sam Okudzeto that, Tsatsu Tsikata should apologise to the entire court. And Sam Okudzeto went on to say this, “If we all go scandalizing the court because Tsikata has said this, he will be expecting that the other side also comes out making aspersions against others who gave judgment in favour of President John Dramani Mahama, that is why I’m saying it’s not good for our country.”

Is Okudzeto not aware about the daily disparaging words against the SC by members of his party? Is he aware of the insults on the SC by NPP members? Or are Sam Okudzeto’s ears only privy to comments coming from the NDC quarters?

If Okudzeto apologizes to the nation for turning a peace summit into a political rally, I will be the first to cast a stone at Tsatsu. If Sam Okudzeto condemns Gabby Otchere Darko who stated that the SC delivered a corrupt judgement I will go seek Tsatsu Tsikata and ask him to apologize. Who the heck does Sam Okudzeto thinks he is? We are ready to take the NPP folks head-on going forward. The time that they had the freeway to bamboozle everybody is over. I am warning the NPP that it’s over! We will take them head on!

The Justices of the SC are not above reproach. They are human just like everybody else. If people can insult a sitting President while Sam Okudzeto looks elsewhere, then he must do likewise when somebody takes on a member of the SC.

Throughout the world, justices of the SC are taken on when their voting patterns on issues do not make sense. Do you know why in the United States Justices Scalia and Clarence Thomas are always on the radar of the Democrats? These too extreme Republicans have never voted in favour of anything that tends to favour either the Democrats or their causes.

That is why Scalia and Thomas are always on the receiving end. I have never seen the likes of Sam Okudzeto jumping to their defence and behaving that the Justices are tin gods and therefore above reproach. Just Google the names of these two Justices and you will be amazed to see what will come up.

How many times has Sam Okudzeto asked his NPP members to stop insulting President Mahama? How many times has he gone on air and express his anger at those who have been chewing President Mahama and late President Mills?

Sam Okudzeto should pack himself somewhere and stop wasting our ears. We will never again sit down and allow the NPP folks to call the shots. The expression by Tsatsu Tsikata was the correct one. Nobody should take it away from him. Justice Anim Yeboah is human. Who therefore, knows that after being outed by Tsatsu Tsikata, Justice Anim Yeboah may mend his ways by putting Ghana first in cases that he determines in future.

nakuakoduah@yahoo.com