Samuel Atta Mills, a younger brother of the late president Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has bemoaned the sorry state of the Asomdwee park where his brother was buried.
Prof. Mills who died in office in July 2012 was buried at the Asomdwee Park in Accra. But almost 7 years after the ‘Asomdwee Hene’ was laid to rest at the mosoleum, the park has not seen any facelift.
The once beautiful and befitting park has been overtaken by marijuana smokers and prostitutes who have turned a part of it into a brothel. Reports also suggest that cattle and rodents have also taken over the bushy part of the important mosoleum.
The sad development has raised questions over the importance of such places to the state while many have called on the government for a swift intervention since it is a resting place for a once most adored president the country ever had.
Last week, reports suggested that the disgusting nature of the park forced the family of Prof. Mills to exhume his remains and rebury him at what will become his final resting place in Ekumfi Otuam where he hails from. But such claim has been denied by the family.
“I don’t know those who are saying they are our family members [and speaking for us].We the Atta Mills family has not come out to say anything [in connection with the resting place of Prof. Mils]. If somebody is saying something, that does not mean we are saying that,” said Mr Atta Mills in an interview with Power 97.9 FM‘s Princess Arita Anim.
Mr Mills who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem bemoaned the disgusting state of the Asomdwee Park.
“The truth is, the state of the Asomdwee park is disgusting. There were National Security operatives in charge of the place. They [the government] brought goose and ostriches to the park and made it lovely but today, it’s sad to see the place where a former president was buried being taken over by marijuana smokers and prostitutes,” he added.
He continued, “People pay money to go and watch the graves of former presidents in America. In Germany, there is a similar place called Heroes Park but over here we have left the place to rot…Is this nation worth dying for?”
He wondered why the state has neglected the resting place of Prof. Mills after he served the nation for many years, and asked the government to tidy up the place, since it can serve as a tourist site and generate revenue for for the country.