Tsatsu Tsikata
Encyclopedia
Tsatsu Tsikata is a Ghanaian academic and lawyer
. He is also a former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
.
in the south of the Volta Region
of Ghana
. He was however brought up at Adabraka, a suburb of Accra
, the capital of Ghana. He started school at an early age because he wanted to follow his older brother Fui to school. He first attended Additrom Preparatory School and then Mrs Sam’s Preparatory School, a school also attended by Jerry Rawlings
. He was again moved to Accra Newtown Experimental School where he was jumped from Year 2 to Year 3, catching up with his older brother Fui. He won a United Africa Company
(UAC) scholarship in 1960 to start his secondary education at the age of 9 years at the Mfantsipim School
. On completion of his 5 year course, he gained admission into the University of Ghana
, Legon
at the age of 16, where he obtained an LL.B
First Class degree at the age of 18 years. Only one other 18 year old had completed a degree programme at that time. His lecturers included Professor Ofosu Amaah and Dr. Obed Asamoah
, a former foreign minister
and Attorney General
of Ghana. He then won a post-graduate scholarship from the University of Ghana to Oxford University where he again obtained first class honours in Bachelor of Civil Law
which is equivalent to a master's degree
at other British universities
.
where he also served as a tutor. On his return to Ghana in 1974, he was appointed a lecturer
at the law faculty of the University of Ghana. Some of his students included Kwamena Ahwoi
, Alban Bagbin
, former majority leader in the Parliament of Ghana
and Freddie Blay
, former first deputy speaker in the Parliament of Ghana
, a former first deputy speaker in parliament.
. During the era of the National Redemption Council
/Supreme Military Council
military regimes of Acheampong, he defended Samuel Okudjeto and William Ofori Atta
who stood trial for political reasons. After the May 15 uprising in 1979, he was counsel for Jerry Rawlings during the treason trial that came to an abrupt end when the SMC military government led by Fred Akuffo
was overthrown on 4 June 1979.
led by Jerry Rawlings
.
to try such cases. The trial lasted for six years. He was pronounced guilty on 18 June 2008 by Mrs. Justice Hernrietta Abban. The length of the trial is reputed to be the longest ever involving a former government official in the history of the country. Those loyal to President Kufuor's New Patriotic Party
government hailed this as a triumph for the judicial system while Tsikata's sympathisers and National Democratic Congress
supporters saw the trial as politically motivated. This led to the formation of the 'Free Tsatsu Movement'. He was granted an unconditional pardon by the then President John Kufuor
on his last day of office after his party, the New Patriotic Party
lost the Ghanaian presidential election, 2008
. At the time, he was on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
under prison guard following a severe bout of asthma. Tsatsu Tsikata rejected the presidential pardon and announced at a forum later that he felt the pardon was not in good faith and that he would fight through the court system to clear his name.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He is also a former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
The Ghana National Petroleum Company of Ghana is the state agency responsible for the exploration, licensing, distribution of petroleum related activities in Ghana.-History:...
.
Early life and education
Tsikata was born at KetaKeta
Keta is a city in Volta Region, Ghana. It was an important trading post between the 14th and late 20th century via a port and fort built by the Dutch in 1784. Parts of the city were devastated by sea erosion between the 1960s and 1980s....
in the south of the Volta Region
Volta Region
Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. He was however brought up at Adabraka, a suburb of Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, the capital of Ghana. He started school at an early age because he wanted to follow his older brother Fui to school. He first attended Additrom Preparatory School and then Mrs Sam’s Preparatory School, a school also attended by Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
. He was again moved to Accra Newtown Experimental School where he was jumped from Year 2 to Year 3, catching up with his older brother Fui. He won a United Africa Company
United Africa Company
The United Africa Company was a British company which principally traded in West Africa during the 20th century.The United Africa Company was formed in 1929 as a result of the merger of the Royal Niger Company, which had been effectively owned by Lever Brothers since 1920, and the African &...
(UAC) scholarship in 1960 to start his secondary education at the age of 9 years at the Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim School
Mfantsipim SchoolMotto:Dwen Hwe Kan .Established: 3rd April 1876.Public School . Affiliated with Wesleyanism/Methodist Church.Head of school: Kwame Mieza Edjah.Staff:85....
. On completion of his 5 year course, he gained admission into the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
, Legon
Legon
Legon, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital city Accra, is situated about twelve kilometres north-east of the city center. Legon is home to the main campus of the University of Ghana. The word "Legon" is derived from the indigenous Ga language of the people of Greater Accra; NI-LEY GON therefore "Hill...
at the age of 16, where he obtained an LL.B
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
First Class degree at the age of 18 years. Only one other 18 year old had completed a degree programme at that time. His lecturers included Professor Ofosu Amaah and Dr. Obed Asamoah
Obed Asamoah
Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah is a politician from Ghana. Asamoah is the longest serving foreign minister and Attorney General of Ghana under Jerry Rawlings from 1981 to 1997. Asamoah was educated at King's College London and at Columbia University. He was a lecturer in Law at the University of Ghana...
, a former foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
and Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Ghana. He then won a post-graduate scholarship from the University of Ghana to Oxford University where he again obtained first class honours in Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
which is equivalent to a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at other British universities
British universities
Universities in the United Kingdom have generally been instituted by Royal Charter, Papal Bull, Act of Parliament or an instrument of government under the Education Reform Act 1988; in any case generally with the approval of the Privy Council, and only such recognised bodies can award degrees of...
.
Academic career
Tsikata held a Junior Research Fellowship at Corpus Christi College, OxfordCorpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
where he also served as a tutor. On his return to Ghana in 1974, he was appointed a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at the law faculty of the University of Ghana. Some of his students included Kwamena Ahwoi
Kwamena Ahwoi
Kwamena Ahwoi is a politician in Ghana who served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development from 1990–2001 in the National Democratic Congress government, during the reign of Jerry Rawlings. He also briefly served as Minister of foreign affairs in 1997, and was acting minister...
, Alban Bagbin
Alban Bagbin
Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin is the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing in the Ghana government.Bagbin hails from the Upper West Region of Ghana and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and English at the University of Ghana in 1980...
, former majority leader in the Parliament of Ghana
Parliament of Ghana
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Ghanaian government.-History:Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive...
and Freddie Blay
Freddie Blay
Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay, popularly called Freddie Blay, is a lawyer and politician. He is a Member of Parliament in Ghana and currently serves as the First Deputy Speaker in the Fourth Parliament of Ghana. He is a member of the Convention People's Party...
, former first deputy speaker in the Parliament of Ghana
Parliament of Ghana
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Ghanaian government.-History:Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive...
, a former first deputy speaker in parliament.
Barrister
Tsikata has served as counsel to a number of notable personalities over the years. These include Captain Kojo Tsikata, his cousin and Kofi AwoonorKofi Awoonor
Kofi Awoonor is a Ghanaian poet and author, whose work combines the poetic traditions of his native Ewe people and contemporary and religious symbolism to depict Africa during decolonization....
. During the era of the National Redemption Council
National Redemption Council
The National Redemption Council was the ruling Ghana military government in from January 13, 1972 to October 9, 1975. Its chairman was Colonel I.K. Acheampong. He was also the Head of state of Ghana due to his chairmanship.-Duration of rule:...
/Supreme Military Council
Supreme Military Council, Ghana
The Supreme Military Council was the ruling government of Ghana from October 9, 1975 to June 4, 1979. Its chairman was Colonel I.K. Acheampong. He was also the Head of state of Ghana due to his chairmanship.- SMC I and II :...
military regimes of Acheampong, he defended Samuel Okudjeto and William Ofori Atta
William Ofori Atta
Nana William Ofori Atta was a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention and was one of "The Big Six" detained by the British colonial government in Ghana...
who stood trial for political reasons. After the May 15 uprising in 1979, he was counsel for Jerry Rawlings during the treason trial that came to an abrupt end when the SMC military government led by Fred Akuffo
Fred Akuffo
Lieutenant General Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo was a soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Head of state and chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council in Ghana from 1978 to 1979...
was overthrown on 4 June 1979.
Ghana National Petroleum Company
Tsikata was appointed the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) from October 1988 to December 2000 by the PNDCProvisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. This was on December 31, 1981. It remained in power until January 7,...
led by Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
.
Trial jail and pardon
Tsikata was tried for causing financial loss of GH¢230,000 to the state after a trial through the Accra Fast Track Tribunal, one of many set up by the Kufuor governmentKufuor government
This is a list of the ministers who have served in John Kufuor's New Patriotic Party government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 2001, the first changeover between civilian governments in Ghana through the ballot box. John Kufuor won the 2004 elections and is serving...
to try such cases. The trial lasted for six years. He was pronounced guilty on 18 June 2008 by Mrs. Justice Hernrietta Abban. The length of the trial is reputed to be the longest ever involving a former government official in the history of the country. Those loyal to President Kufuor's New Patriotic Party
New Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
government hailed this as a triumph for the judicial system while Tsikata's sympathisers and National Democratic Congress
National Democratic Congress (Ghana)
The National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
supporters saw the trial as politically motivated. This led to the formation of the 'Free Tsatsu Movement'. He was granted an unconditional pardon by the then President John Kufuor
John Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor was the second president of the 4th Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the African Union...
on his last day of office after his party, the New Patriotic Party
New Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
lost the Ghanaian presidential election, 2008
Ghanaian presidential election, 2008
A presidential election was held in Ghana on 7 December 2008, at the same time as a parliamentary election. Since no candidate received more than 50% of the votes, a run-off election was held on 28 December, 2008 between the two candidates who received the most votes, Nana Akufo-Addo and John Atta...
. At the time, he was on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the premier health care facility in Ghana. It is the only tertiary hospital in the southern part of Ghana and it is also a teaching hospital affiliated with the medical school of the University of Ghana...
under prison guard following a severe bout of asthma. Tsatsu Tsikata rejected the presidential pardon and announced at a forum later that he felt the pardon was not in good faith and that he would fight through the court system to clear his name.