Newly sworn-in Ghanaian President, Prof. John Atta-Mills, on Saturday, evening arrived at the Presidential wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, saying he was in Nigeria for a parley on the crisis in Guinea. His first foreign trip since he was sworn in last Wednesday, the president arrived in Lagos aboard a private HS 125 aircraft with registration number ZS-BOT, with his aides. Fielding questions from newsmen, the president said that the situation in Guinea called for an urgent solution, adding there was need for leaders in the region to stand against the coup in the country. According to Attah Mills, the meeting he came for involved leaders from the Economic Community of West Africa States, and that the group had taken a stand to ensure that those in authority in Guinea currently return to democracy. He said that it was unfortunate that the institutions on ground in Guinea were not strong enough to ensure continuity of democracy. He said, “Africa has taken a stand against coups, so it is strongly condemned, but there are mitigating factors and because the conditions were such that we think that there is a need for us to help the Guinean people come back to normalcy and democracy. “ECOWAS is going to have those in authority to go back to democracy. It appeared that the Head of State had died and the institution which was in existence were not strong enough to ensure continuity.” However, commenting on the just concluded election in Ghana, Atta-Mills advised that aside assuring a virile electoral system, African leaders, must be ready to do the thing. He said that they must know that electoral contests involved winners and losers, and that the latter must be magnanimous enough to accept defeat. He said, ”Well, we must be determined to do the right things. Then ensuring that the rules are obeyed and admitting that it is a contest of losers and winners. If you want to be a winner, be magnanimous in victory. If you are a loser, be a good loser. You can‘t be both a winner and a loser.” Credit: Oyetunji Abioye Source: Punch, Nigeria