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
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
