What Tsatsu Tsikata said about Atta Mills at his 10th anniversary memorial lecture in 2022

Legal luminary Tsatsu Tsikata has eulogized the late Ghanaian president, Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, as a distinguished man who used his humanity and compassion to drive the development of the country.

Delivering a speech at the 12th Anniversary Memorial Lecture on July 26, 2022, Tsatsu Tsikata said that the late president was a nobleman who focused on impacting lives instead of settling scores.

Tsatsu Tsikata refrained from ‘idolizing’ Professor Atta Mills but noted how the late president built a legacy on his humanness and sheer interest in the well-being of Ghanaians.

Tsatsu Tsikata, in his eulogy, noted, however, that the current marking of the tomb of the late president does not have his name.

According to him, the bust which was unveiled by the Akufo-Addo government in 2022 does not have the name of the president of the Fourth Republic inscribed on it.

“Honoring his memory isn’t just about raising physical monuments to him but more about ensuring that his legacy of integrity is given full meaning in our nation and in what we demand of our leaders and ourselves.

Since Sunday morning, July 24, 2022, we have seen at Asomdwe Park what is now inscribed under his grave and the bust does not even have his name. Was he really the one being honoured in that event where these inscriptions were unveiled? I can almost hear him after listening to me uttering those words saying calmly ‘oh really, don’t bother about them’ and then asking me to move on to the more important subject that he and I need to discuss.

President Mills aspired to a better Ghana and that is a shared aspiration we all have as Ghanaians. We shall look at how even in his short time as president, he saw some important steps he took towards that better Ghana and more importantly how his human touch can help our quest for a better Ghana. I do not seek to idolize President Mills. He was a servant leader who never sought to be idolized,” he said.

President John Evans Atta Mills, the third President of the Fourth Republic, died on July 24, 2012.

As part of activities marking the 12th anniversary of the demise of the man who was named Asomdweehene, the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage has outlined a number of events including a book launch, wreath-laying ceremony, and memorial at the Asomdwee Park in Accra.