Wild jubilation in Kumasi over Mills’ ‘death’

In an act that is unbecoming of the NPP and which is unGhanaian, supporters of the ma te me hu party in Kumasi last Saturday, June 16, 2012, went wild with jubilation when rumours that President Mills has been taken ill ended with another rumour that he was dead.

Some of the supporters who jubilated, realizing that their actions was unGhanaian, chose to confine their jubilation to their respective homes. Some, however, were so ecstatic that they threw caution to the word and went out to jubilate.

Daily Postscouts in the Garden City say some people dashed to drinking bars to celebrate the alleged death of the President while others celebrated by going around blowing the horns of their vehicles. Ironically, while these residents of Kumasi were celebrating the death of the President, the President, Prof. Atta Mills, a few hours after the jubilation started, arrived at the Kotoka International Airport looking hale and hearty, cracking jokes with journalists present.

He trotted for a few seconds in the presence of journalists present in response to the ‘doom mongers’ who say he was not fit. Later, he told the journalists that he heading for the U.S for a routine medical check up. “I heard about this [death] sometime ago and I said what is happening. Indeed, this is not the first time that I have heard people say this about me. Let me just say that I’m very, very strong and I don’t know the basis for saying that I am dead.

“Well, let me just say that under our Constitution, the President has a duty to inform Parliament [to inform them] whenever he is going outside the country. Sometimes it is not even necessary to give you the details.

“What I have decided to do is to go for medical check-up. So I’m going for a few days and then come back. I’m able to sit down with the doctors and talk about things. Of course, there are all kinds of certain things which I believe I can strengthen myself for.

5“Let me tell you [in] six months we are going to work very, very, very, very, very, very hard. I remember the last time when I came back from the G8, he [Vice President John Mahama] had been in Sunyani and when I spoke to him he wasn’t well at all, he wasn’t well at all and when I came back from G8 as far as I’m concerned this is nothing I will say calls for something by all Ghanaians. I’m only going there to make sure that yes we look at this and that that that… and come back to continue the work that I’m going to do.

“You look at me as a person, are you seeing the person who has died’

Interestingly, while the President, looking hale and hearty was talking to the journalist, the celebration in Kumasi was still going on. However, the celebration began to subside when TV3 interrupted one of its programmes and showed President Mills at the Kotoka International Airport, alive and kicking, getting ready to leave for the U.S. Obviously, however, it was too late for those who drank themselves into a state of stupor to stop jubilating.

Reality was sure to begin dawning on them the morning after.