the son of late President John Evans Atta Mills, Samuel Kofi Atta Mills, has dismissed claims of a sour relationship with his father when he was alive.
News reports suggested that young Mills, who was schooling in the UK, was rarely in touch with his father as he was banned from the Castle due to differences with his step mother, former First Lady, Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills.
Speaking on the BBC’s outlook programme on Thursday, Mr. Atta Mills said he had a great relationship with both his father and step-mother.
“We communicated regularly because obviously, he wanted to know how I was coping and I ring him up all the time to ask ‘how are you dad, how is your job, how is Ghana doing’ and stuff like that,” he explained.
He added: “I went to Ghana for a year and I had the privilege to live with him in the Castle [seat of government]. I was there for quite a while. It was a big experience.”
Mr. Atta Mills described his father as a man who believed in giving everyone equal opportunity “so just because he was the President, he wouldn’t allow people to treat me different. 5 am in the morning, we would wake up and go for a walk from the Castle to the Independence [Square] so that he could get some fresh air and exercise.”
“Everyone took their shower, we had morning devotion from six to seven and whatever problems I was facing, I could tell him and whatever he thought was good, he would talk about it.”