Tsatsu Tsikata Shows His Humankind In Court

By Nana Akua Tweneboah-Koduah

He was thrown into jail on trump up charges by the NPP. But ever since his release from jail Mr Tsatsu Tsikata has stated emphatically and repeatedly that he bears no grudge to anybody, and that he and his family have moved on. Many Ghanaians know all too well the story of Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, a renowned lawyer, on how he landed in jail.

Barely a couple of days ago, Mr Tsikata celebrated his release from jail five years ago. To be precise, on June 18, 2013 Tsatsu wrote a beautiful article which was published in the Daily Graphic and picked up by many websites and newspapers in which he recounted events leading to his incarceration and his eventual miraculous release from jail.

Many Ghanaians who read Tsatsu’s article were touched by the role played by her better half, Mrs Esther Cobbah Tsikata in the trying times and how she stood strong during those agonising period.

But Tsatsu’s article will lose its steam if we do not make mention of the way he praised God for rescuing him from death and later causing his release from jail. Perhaps my favourite part of the article was captured in this line, “While for Paul and Silas it was an earthquake that loosened their chains and flung the prison gates open, in my case it was my “body quake”, as Esther aptly called it, which God used to bring me out of prison.”

Mr Tsikata is today in court defending the bogus case brought by the NPP to contest the results of the 2012 Presidential Election which was soundly won by President John Dramani Mahama. The NPP who detest Tsatsu’s presence in court and his deft knowledge in law have never ceased insulting and casting innuendoes on him.

Incidentally, one of the insulting acidic guys who have tried to run down Mr Tsikata on radio at every given turn is no other person than Sammy Awuku, a deputy Communications Director of the NPP. This is a young guy who perhaps has sworn never to respect anything NDC.

Therefore, Awuku goes on air and says anything that he thinks will make sense to the NPP supporters without considering anything else. That is why Sammy Awuku found himself on the wrong side of the law when he went on air and accused the SC justices of being selective in their warnings against bad reportage by citing the Daily Guide.

The SC justices who were not happy with the accusations by Sammy Awuku, made mention of him during the resumed siting of the petition case on Wednesday June 26. Awuku, who was not in court at the time later appeared in court, very cowed and apologized profusely. He was aided by Philip Addison, counsel for the NPP.

But before Philip Addison made the intervention guess who was on his feet begging for Sammy Awuku? It was no other person than Tsatsu Tsikata, the man who has been insulted multiple times by Sammy Awuku.

Mr Tsikata indeed turned the other cheek when he pleaded with the justices of the SC to be lenient with Sammy Awuku. Tsatsu indeed showed his humankind in court. He demonstrated in deed whatever he expounded in his article.

Mr Tsikata had every opportunity to do two things in court. The first was to sit down and do nothing. Secondly, he could have chipped in that since Awuku has broken the ground rules set by the SC on Monday, he should be made to face the full music, after all Awuku comes from the party which incarcerated Tsatsu.

This act by Mr Tsikata should send a clear signal to those who have been parading in Ghana as Christians, yet do not even go to church until they are contesting for something. Ghana will be a wonderful place to live if we all do the little we can to bear no grudges.

Sammy Awuku may be in wonderland and perhaps still counting his blessings and asking himself why Tsatsu of all people will make a positive pitch for him. I believe God gave young Sammy Awuku another opportunity to reform. We however live to see what Awuku will do with his life.

nakuakoduah@yahoo.com