The John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage yesterday commemorated the 12th anniversary of the passing of former President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, with a wreath-laying ceremony.

The solemn ceremony, held at the Asomdwe Park in Accra, was organised with the collaboration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), under whose ticket he governed the country from January 2009 to July 2012.

It was graced by the flag bearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama; the party’s running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and the family of the late former President.

Other NDC bigwigs present were the National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; the General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey; the Chairman of John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage, Alex Segbefia; former National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; Head of Elections Directorate of the NDC, Dr Edward Omane Boamah; the Chief of Staff of the Speaker of Parliament, Kofi Attoh; NDC Members of Parliament, and a cross-section of the public.

Ideals

The NDC flag bearer eulogised former President Atta Mills as one “who lived a life of unquestionable integrity and absolute humility in the service to the nation he loved” which, he said, had been in sharp contrast to the governance of the current New Patriotic Party administration.

Gathering at the wreath-laying ceremony

He described Prof. Atta Mills as a selfless leader who prioritised the needs of the nation over his personnel and any political gain.

“He was the first to cut his own salary as a sincere gesture to show solidarity with the economic hardships faced by many Ghanaians at the time when he took over from the NPP administration,” he said.

He added that Prof. Atta Mills’s record in managing the country’s economy was unmatched as it recorded the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and single digit inflation under the Fourth Republic.

“As a steward managing the economy, his record remains phenomenal and unsurpassed in the Fourth Republic. Ghana historically under his tenure recorded its highest ever GDP growth rate of 14.4 per cent, with a larger contribution coming from the rail sector rather than the oil sector in the decades under his administration. In addition, his record of single-digit inflation for over 30 months remains unbroken,” he said.

The flag bearer of the NDC noted that the country truly missed the values and leadership of former President Atta Mills in steering the affairs of the country; adding that the NDC would strive to win the elections and reset the country to end the “naked arrogance, arrogant abuse and absolute recklessness causing the good people of Ghana enormous anguish and suffering”.

Governance

The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said next year’s anniversary celebration of the passing of the late president would be massive and simultaneously be the day of accountability for persons pretending to be relatives of the John Evans Atta Mills when the NDC won the elections. 

John Dramani Mahama (left), former President

He added that Prof. Atta Mills left a legacy of a new president in former President Mahama who had affirmed his desire to continue every good project initiated by the current administration if re-elected.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah said that the current haircut initiated by the government was a result of turning deaf ears to the ideals of the late President to continue projects of preceding governments, leading to a financial loss to the state.

The family of President Atta Mills, led by his sister, Mercy Araba Ahema Quarshie, expressed disapproval of an organisation of a group of people by former secretary to President Atta Mills, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, who thronged the Asomdwe Park earlier in the day in the name of their family.

“This morning, we came to find a very ugly scene. Some people that were brought in by Koku Anyidoho, pretending to be the real relatives of Atta Mills. That is never true; we don't know the people Koku brought from anywhere,” she said.

She said Mr Anyidoho was stepping on the wrong foot while describing his conduct as a taboo for tampering with their brother’s grave; adding that the family would deal with him.

She expressed gratitude to the NDC and JEAMMH for organising the ceremony, and called for unity among the rank and file of the party to work hard to secure a resounding victory in the December polls.