The John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage Society yesterday held a wreath-laying ceremony to mark the 12th anniversary of the death of former University Chancellor, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
The solemn ceremony, which took place at Accra’s Asomdwe Park, was organised with the cooperation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which he led from January 2009 to July 2012.
The ceremony was attended by the Leader of the NDC, Mr John Dramani Mahama, the party’s Deputy Leader, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang and family members of the late former President.
Other key figures of the NDC who were in attendance included the National Chairman, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Secretary General, Mr Fifi Fiabi Kweti, Chairman John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Legacy, Mr Alex Segbefia, former National Chairman of the NDC, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, NDC Electoral Commissioner, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Chief of Staff to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Kofi Attoh, NDC MPs and members of the public.
ideal
The NDC leader hailed former President Atta Mills as someone who “served his beloved nation and lived his life with unquestioned integrity and absolute humility”, which he said was in stark contrast to the governance of the current New Patriotic Party administration.
People gathering at the flower offering ceremony
He described Prof Atta Mills as a selfless leader who put the needs of the people above his own personnel and political interests.
“When he took over from the NPP government, one of the first things he did was to cut his own salary as a sincere gesture of solidarity with the economic hardships that many Ghanaians were facing,” he said.
He added that Professor Atta Mills’ track record in managing the country’s economy is unparalleled, having recorded the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and single-digit inflation under the Fourth Republic.
“His record as an economic steward has been phenomenal and unparalleled in the Fourth Republic. During his tenure, Ghana recorded its historically highest ever GDP growth rate of 14.4 percent, with the rail sector contributing more than the oil sector during the decades under his administration. Moreover, the record of single digit inflation for over 30 months remains unbroken,” he said.
The NDC chief noted that there is a real lack of values and leadership from former President Atta Mills guiding Ghanaian affairs, adding that the NDC will work to win the elections and rebuild the country to end the “naked arrogance, high-handed abuse and absolute recklessness” that has caused so much anguish and suffering to the good people of Ghana.
Governance
National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said next year’s celebrations to mark the death of the late president will be huge but will also be a day of accountability for those who posed as relatives of John Evans Atta Mills when the NDC won the election.
John Dramani Mahama (left), former president
He added that Prof. Atta Mills left a legacy as the new President to former President Mahama who expressed his intention to continue all the good projects initiated by the current administration if re-elected.
Asiedu Nketia said the current cuts initiated by the government are the result of continuing the projects of the previous administration, ignoring the ideals of the former president, which has led to financial losses for the state.
The family of President Atta Mills, led by his sister, Mercy Araba Ahema Kwasi, expressed opposition to the formation of a group by former Secretary to President Atta Mills, Mr. Samuel Koku Anyidoho, who gathered at Asomudwe Park in the name of the family early in the day.
“This morning we saw a very ugly scene, the people brought by Koku Anyidoho were pretending to be real relatives of Atta Mills. It is never true. We don’t know where Koku brought them from,” she said.
She said Anyidoho was wrong to commit the taboo act of desecrating his brother’s grave, adding that the family would deal with him.
She thanked the NDC and JEAMMH for hosting the ceremony and called on party members to work in solidarity to ensure a landslide victory in the December elections.