Mills allowed God to lead him - Joyce Banda

The late president of the Republic of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills, allowed the Spirit of God to lead him during his tenure, hence the numerous eulogies he enjoys even in death, Joyce Banda, a former president of Malawi, has said.

Her comments come at a time Ghana is marking the fourth anniversary since the passing of Professor Mills in 2012. He was the first president of Ghana to have died while in office. As part of the anniversary, a John Evans Atta Mills Library has been built and inaugurated at the Chapel Square at Cape Coast in the Central Region in his honour.

Delivering a public lecture at the University of Cape Coast Monday July 25 as part of the commemoration, Mrs Banda said: “It was in the year 2008 that President John Evans Atta Mills won the elections in Ghana. I watched him on television when he attended a church service at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Nigeria to thank God for the opportunity he had been given to serve his people. I watched the testimony that he gave. This is the first time I saw the man we are honouring today standing before God with humility.”

She added: “I have seen how people in power behave, …I have seen how they feel so important even larger than God, and by the way, I have been in power myself, [but] what I learned from this great distinguished son of Africa was his love [of] and faithfulness to God.

“His ability to forgive … and how he allowed press freedom in this country, the media in Ghana is indeed very free and any leader with a weak mind cannot withstand. I know so many countries on the continent of Africa where our sons and daughters who are in the media are being abused every single day for expressing or informing the nation , for being honest; people are being thrown in jail.

“A country where people are not free, that country doesn’t prosper…” she said.