The presumably Ghana's best defence lawyer, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, alias "Mr Quote Quote" has taken Dr Bawumia to a sweaty task. In his tortuous cross-examination of the star witness for Nana Akufo Addo and Co., Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata is established to be resolutely determined to cast a doubt on the credibility of Dr Bawumia. However, his tireless circuitous attempts, repetitively asking Dr Bawumia the same question in different shapes and forms amounts to what is, "much ado about nothing". Although hard as Mr. Tsikata tries to punch holes in that solid evidence sealed by God and presented by Nana Akufo and Co to the Supreme Court, he has only so far earned an accolade for being an intimidating cross-examiner without much firepower.
The above paragraph is just a prelude to the message I need to share with my Ghanaian compatriots today. Your sensible views that can enhance the discourse will be very much appreciated.
Have you ever believed in the inviolability of the saying, "Silence means consent?" Why would your silence to a question posed where you are normally required to express an affirmative or a negative view, be taken for "Yes" (affirmative) but not "No" (negative)? Research or survey has confirmed that silence really means consent but not objection. Be that as it may, then "Blank" which translates as empty, nothing and then naught, finally converts into a cipher (0) zero. Therefore, Dr Bawumia is right through and through by saying that he sees all the blank boxes left on the Statement of Poll and Declaration of results sheets (Pink sheets) as having zeros in them going by my definition of "blank". Once you intentionally or inadvertently refuse to enter a figure or the inscription N/A (Not Applicable), Yes or No or a tick (x) in a blank box on a form, it is always assumed to be "0" as just explained above. Whether you like it or not, that is the import.
Anyone doubting me had better search the definition of blank and its synonyms from the dictionary. I have conducted a survey myself by posing questions to numerous White colleagues about their understanding of leaving a blank box on a form where one is requested or obliged to put in figures. All of them agree that failure to enter a figure will mean to any sensible person that the blank box contains zero (0). It is therefore senseless on the part of all those supporting the so-called renowned Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata that the blank spaces on the pink sheets controversially in contention cannot be presumed for mathematical zero (0) but any other numerical.
We should not always allow politics to blind our sense of reasoning. Common sense should prevail at times in our analysis. We need analytical thinkers when it comes to discourse on how best to move Ghana forward. We have to eschew political partisanship and political fanaticism but be realists to tell and see things in their very true colours as they come.
Funnily, Tsatsu appears to be losing his relevance as the so-called most powerful lawyer in Ghana. In the face of credible evidence, what can he do? Nothing! He has so far not been able to challenge from any of the presented pink sheets alleging electoral violations that no irregularities did take place as alleged. He has for all the while that he has to cross-examine Dr Bawumia been insisting on duplication, triplication and quadruplicating of same pink sheets to bloat the contested figures in attempts to render the election statutorily heavily violated.
The insistence by Dr Bawumia that the duplications with, or without, different reference serial numbers were only used for analysis but the concerned pink sheet counted once in the finally analysis still sounds strange in the ears of Mr Quote Quote. Even he insists on cross-examining Dr Bawumia on pink sheets he has already sworn affidavit on, and taken such affidavits to the Supreme Court pleading the Court to discount them as no longer credible for consideration in the petition filed. Is there any sense in this if he was not tactically delaying the case for his own mischievous intents? Luckily the Presiding Judge, Justice Atuguba has warned him that a curtain will soon be drawn on his cross-examination.
My readers, now the question to you is, has the supposedly best lawyer in Ghana, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, alias Mr Quote Quote, been able to live up to his client's expectation by exposing Dr Bawumia as a liar, a weakling and an ineffectual Statistician who does not know and understand mathematical figures and the essence of boxes intentionally left blank on forms when one is required to fill them in?
Rockson Adofo