Nelson Mandela, eternal glory:

- Ata Mills/Tsatsu Tsikata, eternal shame

Nelson Mandela had all the chances to seek re-election as President in 1998, but he

bowed out honourably. He just refused to be persuaded by

sychophants who appealed to him vehemently to stay on-for reasons I don’t know.

Mandela faced reality and recognised his human physical frailties. During his

lifetime and in a transparent manner, he bravely and openly admitted to

ailments like TB, cataract and prostate cancer. He did the unthinkable and

emphatically bowed out, with grace and charm in 1998 after his first term.

There was no way Mandela could have lost 2nd, 3rd or 4th term elections if he

contested. But he bowed out when the ovation was highest.

Nelson Mandela is gone; a man of honour, chastity , selflessness and high moral

worth: Hail, Nelson Mandella, for his fantastic ‘out of this world of

Africa bow-out’. May God bless his soul?

However, in contrast to the above attitude, our own Prof Mills failed. And Prof

Mills failed totally. By 2011, Prof Atta Mills had served

three years of his Presidency. It was obvious that he was weak and finding it

difficult to cope with the physical, mental and emotional exigencies

associated with his high office as Executive President. It was widely known that

Prof Mills was even almost blind and could not read well throughout

his Presidency. He even read 100 font sized characters with serious difficulty.

Dr. Sekou Nkrumah and Hon Michael Tei Nyaunu the former NDC MP of Manya Krobo, in

their close encounters with Prof Mills wondered how Ghana could choose the

latter as an Executive President with a burden of such gross inabilities in mind and

sense. Prof Mills was out and out a laid-back President and left

sensitive executive governance issues to be executed by his subordinate staff and

other greedy hangers on. The gross corruptions associated with

the EMBRAER planes transactions, SADA, Woyome and most of the stinking judgement

debts are traced to his hands-off management style. Ghana is

yet to recover from the almost $2b economic loss arising from Prof Mills physical

l imitations during his Presidency.

Despite the handicaps, Prof Mills still wanted to continue as President and actually

sought and won the NDC Presidential ticket in 2011 wanting to contest

again in 2012. Mills failed to admit that he was sick and just not adequate health

wise. He deceived himself and the people, the greedy Mills. He allowed

himself to be pushed around by greedy bastards, old evil dwarfs and crookish

sycophants. Eventually he died in dubious and mysterious circumstances few

months to 2012 elections.

Now compare Nelson Mandela to Prof Mills. Who has the eternal glory and who has the

eternal shame?

Furthermore, we recall how late Nelson Mandela was tried and jailed in dubious

circumstances in 1964 for championing the agitation against the

systematic oppression and inhumane treatment of his indigenous South Africans.

After

his release 26 years later in 1990, he eventually became the President of

South Africa in 1994. Mandela had suffered indignities and failing health during his

incarceration, but still he stoutly resisted calls for

Again in contrast to Nelson Mandela’s forgiving spirit, Tsatsu Tsikata another NDC

kingpin has failed. And he has failed badly. Ever since Tsatsu

Tsikata came out of prison 6 years ago, after his 18 months incarceration, having

been convicted of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, Tsatsu

has never been at peace with himself. In the first instance, he even arrogantly

refused to accept the pardon given him by President Kufuor under whose

administration he went to jail. Then at a lecture he organised to celebrate his 5

years release from prison, he had a good opportunity to vehemently lambast the

Kufuor administration for his plight. Again, during the proceedings of the Election

Petition at the Supreme Court, Tsatsu assumed some vindictive postures all

aimed at showing NPP and ex President Kufuor. Recently when Tsatsu Tsikata appeared

before the

Judgement Debt Commission, he took the opportunity and became dishonest. He openly

cast innuendos at and called ex President Kufuor unprintable names.

When will Tsatsu ever be at peace with himself concerning his incarceration? Is his

sense of vindictiveness, hatred and rage entering the

FOREVER ZONE? Are President Mahama ‘s glowing words in his tribute to Mandela any

lesson to Tsatsu Tsikata?

Again compare Nelson Mandela to Tsatsu Tsikata. Who has the eternal glory and who

has the eternal shame?

John Yawose

retribution, rage and vengeance. Yet, the man insisted on forgiveness. He

insisted on peaceful coexistence. (President Mahama happily captured the forgiveness

spirit of Mandela vividly in his tribute to Mandela last Friday.)