We might move body of Atta Mills to hometown – Aggrieved family

Fiifi Crentsil, a cousin of late John Evan Atta Mills, has said the family is considering moving the remains of the former president from Asomdwee Park to his hometown, Otuam in the Central Region.

He says the family is gravely concerned about the state of the Asomdwee Park as the mausoleum has been neglected by successive governments.

“Suddenly, the Asomdwee Park has been deserted for far too long. It is not befitting of a burial place of a former head of state, who has contributed immensely to the development of the state,” Mr Crentsil said on Okay FM in Accra on Tuesday.

Tuesday, 24th July 2018 marked the 6 years anniversary of the passing of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, who died at the 37 Military Hospital.

He continued: “Go and look at the Asomdwee Park, the place is in a sorry state and engulfed by weeds.

It was just yesterday (Monday) that Koku Anyidoho took it upon himself to hire people to weed the place. Is this how we can remember a former leader of this country?

“Not even the state news portal ‘Daily Graphic’ remembered to create a column on him. Every year, I have to personally go and make a paid announcement to inform the public of the anniversary. I am very unhappy about this.”

The brother of the late president, Samuel Atta Mills, who was also frustrated by the matter added that “Ghana is not worth dying for” as nobody had been tasked to take care of his brother’s grave after he was buried.



Background

Ghana marked exactly six-years after the demise of Prof John Evans Atta Mills on July 24, 2012.

Born on 21 July 1944, at Tarkwa in the Western Region, the late President hailed from Ekumfi Otuam in the Mfantsiman East Constituency in the Central Region. At age 27, he was awarded his PhD after successfully defending his doctoral thesis in the area of taxation.

He lectured at the Faculty of Law and the Business School, both of the University of Ghana for over two decades, and author of a number of publications.

He was also a visiting professor at Temple Law School (Philadelphia, USA), Leiden University in the Netherlands and at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

He was a member of the Ghana Stock Exchange, and became Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service of Ghana, and named the National Tax Commissioner in September 1993.

The late President was also a distinguished sportsman and sports administrator, as he played hockey and was a member of Ghana’s National Hockey Team and later the Veterans Hockey Team. He was also a reputable swimmer as well.

On the political scene, the late President Mills was chosen as the running mate by former President Jerry John Rawlings, who was seeking re-election for a second term in office.

They overwhelmingly won the 1996 election and the Professor became Vice President of Ghana from January 7, 1997, to January 6, 2001.

Between 2001 and 2008, Prof Mills became the de facto opposition leader and earned a reputation of decent politicking. He later became known as Asomdwehene, to wit, King of Peace.

On January 7, 2009, the late Prof Mills was sworn-in as Ghana’s third President of the Fourth Republic.

He was until his untimely death the presidential candidate for the NDC for the 2012 presidential election, after winning a challenged presidential primary by a remarkable 96.7 per cent.

Prof Mills is the first sitting leader in the history of the country to die in office.