The late Captain Kojo Tsikata
The family of the late Captain Kojo Tsikata has said the late founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) wished for a private family funeral when he was alive.
The octogenarian died in the early hours of Saturday, November 20.
A statement issued by the family and co-signed by Col Joshua Agbotui (RTD) and Fui S Tsikata said there is going to be a private burial ceremony in accordance with his wishes.
“The family of Captain Kojo Tsikata regrets to announce his passing in the early hours of Saturday 20th November 2021. He was 85.
” In accordance with his wishes, the family will be making arrangements for a private funeral,” the statement said.
The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi had earlier announced his demise on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, November 20.
“This is really sad news not just for the NDC. It is sad news for Ghana,” Sammy said.
Kojo Tsikata was the former Head of National Security and Foreign Affairs of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
He is listed as a retired army captain in the Ghana Army.
Tsikata was sent to the Congo with Major General Ankrah as part of a Ghanaian military contingent with orders from Kwame Nkrumah to protect the Pan-Africanist and anti-neocolonialist Patrice Lumumba, who was the Prime Minister. He later visited Conakry, Guinea, to visit Nkrumah.
He was arrested, detained, and put on death row as a suspect of an assassination plot against Nkrumah on his arrival.
Samora Machel, a freedom fighter, intervened to pardon him. Samora travelled with him to Mozambique. He later arrived in Angola in 1964 to join MPLA fighters and internationalist fighters from Cuba.
He was appointed in 1982 under the Jerry Rawlings administration. He had been in charge of national security since 1982 and later joined the Rawlings administration on 21 January 1995. He was a member of the council of state and a captain of the Ghana Army.
He also served as a member of the council of state of Ghana.
In 1995, he was asked to join a negotiating team with Ibn Chambas who was the then Deputy Foreign Minister, and Brigadier General Agyemfra, accompanied by Harry Mouzillas from the Ghana News Agency as a journalist to cover the events.
They travelled to join Mr. James Victor Gbeho, the then Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and a Resident of Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings and Mr. Ate Allotey, a diplomat.
He rejected a national award to be conferred on him in the category of the order of Volta companion under President Kuffour. He was listed as one of the six government officials under the NDC regime to receive the award.
He was appointed by Gaddafi to a senior advisory position in charge of the Al Mathaba central committee, a support centre for the liberation movement and anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist organisations.
A retired supreme court judge, Mr. Justice G. E. K. Aikins, intimated that Captain Tsikata was implicated in the kidnapping and murder of three high court judges and a retired army officer on 30 June 1983 during the PNDC regime and was never tried. Among the suspects were Captain Kojo Tsikata and Sergeant Aloga Akata-Pore, both key members of the then PNDC.