GBAGBO IN TOWN

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Former President of La Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo arrives in Accra this morning to take part in the funeral of his friend Captain Kojo Tsikata, former head of National Security.

Gbagbo has described Captain Tsikata as ‘’my friend, Pan Africanist and Revolutionary’’.

The burial and funeral of Captain Tsikata will be a private affair with only his close friends and family in attendance.

Those expected to be at the ceremony will include, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Former President John Mahama and Veteran broadcaster, Mike Eghan.

It is also expected that a number of diplomats from countries with which Captain had close ties will also be represented at the funeral.

These will include Angola, which presented its highest national honour to Captain Tsikata about two years ago for his involvement in the defence of Angolan independence along with Internationalist forces.

Cuba will be represented by its Ambassador in Ghana and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic will be represented by its Acting Ambassador.

Captain Tsikata was part of a military force dispatched to the Congo by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to deal with the insurgency instigated by Western intelligence.

He was severely tortured by the state security apparatus under the Acheampong regime after being accused of an attempt to overthrow the regime.

After the 1981 coup by Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, he became a member of the ruling Provisional National Defence council [PNDC] with responsibility for National Security and Foreign Affairs.

It was in his tenure that a list of agents of the Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] of the United States of America was made public.

This became known as the ‘’scranage Affair’ ’and security experts say that it has become the most expensive CIA damage control exercise in history.

Captain Tsikata was also a personal friend of the Burkinabe national hero, Thomas Sankara, who was brutally assassinated in a western Intelligence conspiracy.

Both him and Sankara proudly identified themselves as students of the Founder of the Modern Republic of Ghana Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Captain Tsikata was among the first recipients of the Excellence Award instituted by the Socialist Forum of Ghana[SFG] about 10 years ago.

Other recipients were Ex-Lt A. Owusu-Gyimah who with others tried to reverse the 1966 coup, Kofi Duku, who once served as secretary to Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Kwame Wiafe, National Chairman of the defunct Popular Party for Democracy and Development[PPDD] and Explo Nani-Kofi, a left-wing activist.

The exploits of Captain Tsikata and others in Angola led to ending apartheid rule in South Africa, Independence for Namibia and consolidation of the Independence of Angola.

By Abena Osegu Boateng