Features
An ode to Kojo Tsikata
When I heard of the death of Captain KojoTsikata, all I said was Ghana has lost a great time in history. Only a couple of weeks ago I wrote in this column what Ghana would lose if Tsikata, indeed, refused to write his memoirs before his death.
His name evoked fear among many who had heard of his exploits in the liberation struggle hotspots on the African continent. We are told he was called General Gomez in Angola. I heard quite a bit about him till I met him for the first time in the last quarter of 1983. Before then I had only seen pictures of him.
I was in the first class section of Ghana’s only DC-9 aircraft at the time at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, when Kojo walked in and took a seat after giving a head bow to those of us already seated. A cabin crew member gave him a piece of paper a while later. Kojo opened the folded paper, read whatever was on it, smiled and crumpled it into fine dust. He later told me in 2009 when I visited him in the company of Capt. Joel Kwami Sowu that was the last time he flew on Ghana Airways.
He was born into a family of very brilliant academics. True, every Tsikata I have encountered has an above average intellectual capacity. Kojo was no exception. I came to know him better through his friendship with Prof. Kofi Nyidewu Awoonor and my cousin, Charles “Avu” Segbefia. It took Avu many months to recover from the death of Awoonor in Nairobi, Kenya, from a terrorist attack. Avu was to die a couple of months later.
Like Professor Awoonor and Kofi Annan before him, Kojo Tsikata chose cremation as the method to dispose of his remains. Great souls make such a choice. And I have no doubt in my mind that Kojo was one great soul. I have come to the understanding that when people don’t know you they either fear, despise or even hate you. So was it with Kojo.
The following piece was forwarded to me by a bosom friend. The author is anonymous, though I suspect who it might be. It also tells of what I knew about the man Kojo Tsikata:
“Capt. Kojo Tsikata was my Boss, mentor, teacher, elder brother, all rolled in one. He did not only nurture me in the intricacies of the art of our profession, he also took me under his protective wings and taught me, by his own example, that life is all about being true to yourself, your principles, your beliefs and, above all, your total dedication and commitment to those beliefs and principles.
“It was such an honour and a great joy working under Capt. Kojo Tsikata. If you did a good job, he showed his appreciation for that excellent performance by a very firm handshake, a flash of a smile and a soft ‘thank you’ that was so satisfying. If he disapproved of your performance, he did not yell, castigate or say anything that could discourage you. He only gave you a long gaze and that piercing gaze was enough to spur you on to revisit the task, engage your intellectual faculties more rigorously and improve upon your performance. Because you were afraid of that gaze, you always made sure that you gave of your best.
“Captain Tsikata taught me also not to take myself too seriously but to be humble, unpretentious and develop the capacity to tolerate even my most spiteful detractors. He himself had detractors who were so vicious in their quest to assassinate his character. He was in Luanda, Angola, during the May 15 and June 4 1979 insurrections and subsequent executions of Generals Acheampong, Afrifa and others.
“I saw him almost daily and I personally broke the news of the executions of Acheampong and Utuka to him in his hotel room at the Panorama Hotel in Luanda. Yet, he was viciously accused of being present at a meeting at Burma Camp where he played a key role in the selection of those to be executed.
“This level of character assassination can affect the psychological and physical well-being of a person. But, Efo Kojo always bore the pain of these allegations with a forgiving smile. Even in death, an apology of a journalist decided to use the pretence of a tribute to malign his moral fortitude by surreptitiously implying that Captain had a hand in the execution of General Acheampong; the same person who spared his life!!! How low can people descend in their vow to vilify him even on his death bed!!
“Captain Kojo Tsikata was an African patriot of few parallels. He devoted most of his life to the liberation struggles in Africa. In his mind, political power is all about service; service to your Nation, your people and service that demands self-sacrifice. To him, political power, influence or connections are about using that influence and connections to do good for your Nation. Few days after his arrival in Angola in April 1979, at the invitation of President Agustinho Neto, I mentioned to him casually about the problem of accommodation that our Mission was facing.
“He did not tell me he would intervene on our behalf. Within two to three days, the Angola authorities resolved the problem. He was not obliged to intervene but he did so voluntarily thereby saving Ghana the huge expenditure on hotel accommodation. That is service to one’s Nation.Captain Tsikata dined with the most powerful in Africa and beyond.
“He was close friend with the highest echelon of political leadership and power in most parts of the world, particularly the African continent. But he NEVER tried to use such connections and influence for personal gain. Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘nearly all men can stand adversity; but, if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’
“For years, Efo Kojo had enormous political power in Ghana but he never allowed it to consume his soul. We do know that, more often, political power triggers inappropriate behaviour.
“Power can make the holder have less empathy for the plight of other people. It can corrode the holder’s conscience. Captain Tsikata had that power but he never let it get into his head. He kept his feet firmly on the ground and used the formidable power and influence for the common good.
“He never underestimated the corruptive nature of political power. And he never succumbed to corruption. He had no palatial edifices or illegally acquired mansions in Ghana or elsewhere to boast of as many people in power often do so shamelessly. He had a soul as strong as granite and political power did not corrode it. He had also such a strong distaste and loathing for all the trappings of power; its stiff protocols and its suffocating grandeur. Wherever he is right now, I suspect he will be laughing at the foolishness and absurdity of it all.
“Those who did not know him that well saw Captain as a very stern person. But beneath the veneer of that seemingly stern, uncompromising and tough public image lay a very compassionate, patient, tolerant, very fair and very generous angelic soul.
“Efo Kojo lived a very unpretentious life that was so rich in its simplicity and so inspiring in its decency. He was special. I know he did not want a tribute and I totally respect his wish. So this is not a public but a few words to friends and family, just to say to him Efo Akpe. Well done.”
People know others for very many reasons and by what they stood for. Fortunately, none of the people who thought and said Kojo Tsikata was evil has come out to say what the man did to be so described. The above “few words to friends and family” sum up who the man KojoTsikata was. Rest well, brave soldier.
- Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
BY DR. AKOFA K. SEGBEFIA
Features
The Prophet part 4
Antobam woke up with a terrible headache. He checked the time on his mobile phone, 2:30 am. “What! Where is the money?” He asked aloud. “Where are those girls? Why did I drink so much of that whisky? What were those two girls up to?” He sat up on the bed and noticed a bulge close to the pillow.
He lifted the mattress and picked up the newspaper wrappers with the neatly arranged notes. He saw the neatly written record of the value of the notes. No, those girls are not thieves.
“It was my mistake. If I hadn’t drank myself to sleep they would be here in bed with me, giving me the time of my life. Pretty girls, those two. And so loyal and honest. Tomorrow will be different.”
“I will not drink any whisky, and I will show them that I am a real man. Just then he heard the whispers. Very soon it will be time, they seemed to be saying. This is an important day.”
The gold dealer will bring lots of money. Give him some of the liquid to drink, and we will prepare him. He will do very big business, and he will give you anything you ask for. There will be more miracles and testimonies today.
Antobam smiled to himself. “I am going to be a very rich man in only a few days man. Money, power, and women. Wow! Antobam got to the grounds at 5, but there were quite a number of people waiting.
Mr Kwame Dofu was among them. He greeted them all, and they came around to shake his hand. “My brothers and sisters, I assure you that whatever your problem is, you will not go home without a solution.” Shouts of “Amen” “thank” you Osofo and “you are a true man of God” responded.
“Please take your seats, and start talking to the great one about whatever bothers you. Before the service is over, there will be a solution.” He waved Mr Dofu over, and went with him to the wooden structure that serves as a temporary office.
“My brother, I have done quite a lot of work on the issue you came to see me about. I have prepared a special, powerful package for you. Take this, drink it, and go back to your business. I want to see you in two weeks.”
Beaming with smiles, Mr Dofu drank the foul smelling liquid in two gulps, said a big thank you to Antobam and took his leave. “I believe you, Papa Osofo. And I assure you that I will reward you, big time.”
Just when Osofo Antubam finished with Mr Dofu, Mary and Suzzie went over to him. “Good Morning ladies. I am very sorry about yesterday. I drank too much of the stuff you gave me. Today will be different, I assure you.”
“Don’t worry, Osofo. Since you are now setting things up, our main concern now is to help you to put things in place, and to make you comfortable. We are always there to serve you. This morning, Osofo, we want to go and clean up your place, and prepare something nice for you when you close.
And before coming to church, we will pass by the bank and collect the forms. After you have signed them, the account will be open. You can check the payments anytime and, of course, issue cheques whenever you need money.”
“Suzzie and Mary, I am happy I picked the two of you from the very start. Listen, I will take good care of you, okay? Here is some money. Buy whatever you need for the errands you have mentioned.
And here is the key. Please come back as early as you can. You know I need you here.” The service was very lively. The lively singing of praise songs was followed by one and a half hours of testimonies.
Most of them related to money – big sales, new jobs and overdue debts paid. But there were also testimonies about healing. Barren women had taken seed, and, of course, several men who had lost their bedroom authority had regained them, to the delight of their partners.
As he had promised, Antobam preached for only 30 minutes, exhorting the congregation to attend church regularly, pay their tithes and offerings, and strictly follow his ‘directions’ for securing solutions to their problems.
After another round of praises during which the congregation danced to the floor to drop their offering, he closed the service, grabbed the big bowl which was full to the brim with money, and moved to his desk. A long queue was quickly formed at the desk.
Meanwhile, Mary and Suzzie had gone to give Antobam’s place quite a decent look. A new bedsheet and pillows, a secondhand carpet and four plastic chairs placed in the verandah had done the trick.
They also prepared two fish and chicken stews. After all these, they rushed to the National Savings Bank and collected application forms for opening current and savings accounts.
They joined the service a few minutes before the main session closed. Antobam looked round and saw, to his relief, Mary and Suzzie moving towards him. “Hello ladies. What have you been up to?” “Quite a bit, Osofo. We’ve just collected your drink. Here you are. We’ve made a few changes at your place. I think you will like it. You will also have something nice to eat. Now, here are the forms for the savings and current accounts.
If you will sign them, the bank will open the account. From today, we can pay all monies direct into the account.” ‘How can I thank you, ladies?” “You don’t need to thank us,” Suzzie said. “It is our duty to help a man of God succeed.” “Okay, my ladies, please take the offerings and count them as you did yesterday.
You can add the payments made after the consultations. Will it be possible to pay them into the account today?” “Yes,” Mary said. “The bank closes at four. If we leave here at three, we would be there just in time.”
The two friends started counting, as Osofo Antobam gave his clients his directions for solving their problems. On quite a few occasions he closed his eyes as if he was receiving direction from above on what to do.
But as the fetish priest at the Nana Kofi Broni shrine and the dwarfs had assured him, the solutions would certainly be provided. Having heard the huge testimonies earlier in the day, the clients parted with substantial sums of money in expectation.
By Ekow de Heer
Features
The issue of spiritual father in our churches
A student was supposed to go to school as the natural cause of events should be when universities or schools in general opens but this was not the case in a certain young man’s life.
He decided to postpone his trip because apparently he could not get to meet his pastor, his spiritual father. The question is, should this spiritual father die, will the young man’s life come to an end?
Does it mean in such an instance, he is going to curtail his education? This is a worrying trend in a lot of churches where the pastors use this notion of spiritual father to manipulate members especially the youth.
Some unscrupulous pastors utilise this spiritual father concept to have affairs with gullible young ladies in their churches.
Now with homosexuality gradually making inroads into some of the churches, young men are becoming vulnerable to pastors who have hidden homosexual inclinations.
This spiritual father concept is a Biblical concept that runs through both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. We see it in 2 Kings 4:12 where Gehazi is serving Elisha and also in the New Testament we see Paul relating to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:2 as a Spiritual Father.
In fact, the concept of spiritual father is a good thing if executed according to the word of God since it helps in guiding the younger ones. However, it becomes problematic when it is being executed by unscrupulous wolves in sheepskins as described by Jesus in Mathew 7:15.
I see it as a way that these unscrupulous so-called men of God maintain their hold on the congregants so they do not question their unchristian actions.
One of the things I have observed since I got born again many years ago is that, any pastor who often insists that members recognise that he is their spiritual father is a warning sign that he is doing some wrong things or is about to indulge in some wrong things.
A parent complained about how his daughter was being influenced by a pastor of the church she attends and how worried he was. I am sure there are many parents out there with stories to tell about how their wards are being made to see their pastors almost like their Jesus.
These pastors have managed to make their congregants so loyal to them and to believe in them so much that it is terrifying, as a parent.
The way things are going, an immediate intervention is required otherwise I am not a prophet of doom but I forsee unfortunate instances where parents burst into church auditoriums and star shooting some Pastors out of frustration and anger.
We cannot look on unconcerned as a society and allow unscrupulous fraudsters using the name of God to create problems for families. My recommendation is for a certain amount of regulation in order to bring some sanity in religious practices.
I agree that ordinarily regulating religious practices makes it a bit restrictive in terms of freedom of worship as enshrined in our constitution but given the way things are going, a bit of regulation will not be out of place.
Disgusting stuff are being attributed to some men of God. There are cases of manipulation of young ladies and sometimes married women by so called men of God and it is bringing Christianity and therefore the name of the Lord into disrepute.
Christianity is gradually losing its attractiveness as a result of the negative reportage resulting from disgusting stuff happening in Christian circles. The way some pastors have been manipulating congregants to take money from them leaves much to be desired to the point where they are convincing some of the youth to give out their phones. May God help us.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
