London Observes First Anniversary Of President Atta Mills

The High Commissioner and staff of the Ghana High Commission in London observed a-one minute silence for the late president, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills in the afternoon of 24th July and followed it up later in the evening with a lecture on “The Life and Works of President John Evans Atta Mills”, at the offices of the Ghana High Commission in London as part of activities marking the first anniversary of the passing of the late President.

His Excellency, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who was the main speaker for the occasion, said the late President was about the most underestimated, misunderstood and the most vilified politician or political leader Ghana has ever had in the country’s history.

On the late President’s early childhood, Prof. Danso-Boafo traced President Atta Mills’ early childhood educational progress from Huni Valley, Komenda Methodist Primary and Middle schools and then to Achimota School. Ultimately, he gained a Law degree from the University of Ghana and Masters and Doctoral degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Economics respectively at the age of 27.

President John Evans Atta Mills, he said, after attaining his PhD, did not allow the comforts of London to keep him but returned home to assist in building the nation.

Prof. Danso-Boafo said, not much has been said about President Atta Mills’ tenure at the University of Ghana; he rose from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor and those who know the academic structure of the University would understand the enormous amount of work involved in being able to attain an Associate Professorship in the University.

Prof. Atta Mills was able to do all that, he taught, he did research, made commitment to community service and captained the national hockey team, Ghana’s High Commissioner noted.

The Late President’s sportsmanship did not end with being the captain of the national Hockey team, he played cricket and became the Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak, and also chairman of the Black Stars management team; this you cannot find in many individuals who are all rounded academically and sports but Atta Mills was, Prof Danso-Boafo emphasised.

The High Commissioner again traced President Atta Mills’ journey to the Castle as Vice President and said despite his reluctance to accept the running-mate offer from then President Rawlings in 1996, the late President later gave in and described his nomination as the will of God for him to serve the people of Ghana.

In 2004, Prof. Danso-Boafo said, when the late President was declared loser of the Presidential elections, there were those individuals who wanted him to protest the results and urged him to address a press conference but Prof. Atta Mills refused saying for the sake of the country, he accepts the outcome of the elections because the election results cannot be the end of the world and that he will come back, saying “we cannot use our own personal or political gains to destroy our country”.

Even when the Late President assumed office, there were those who wanted him to seek political revenge in view of how cruelly his predecessors had treated his party folk including his wife. He argued that nobody gains in political “payback time” and that he wanted to end our culture of vindictiveness. When asked to make public the economic crimes of his opponents, he cautioned that publicising such issues would damage the reputation of the country internationally. He was never interested in getting even with his opponents.

Prof. Danso-Boafo said for the first time in the history of the country, we had an individual who had all the academic qualifications, lived in Ghana throughout his life, served in several high positions in government including being Vice President; intellectually, he was very much qualified, politically, he had the experience and administratively, he was very much capable, so which better person could the country have had at the time apart from Prof. Atta Mills, he asked.

It was unfortunate that people who did not know the late President should be saying things they didn’t know about him, the High Commissioner lamented.

Prof. John Evans Atta Mills was a very hard working individual, was one of the most patriotic and nationalistic individuals who cared so much about the country Ghana.

Africa needed such a person and Ghana was so lucky to have had him but some Ghanaians did not see his worth.

For once, the High Commissioner appealed to Ghanaians, “let’s not listen to all the doom sayers and critics who have nothing to offer but destroy our good leaders like they did to President Kwame Nkrumah and President Atta Mills”.

The High Commissioner presented Prof. Mills as a “unifier” who succeeded in bringing back into the NDC all the people who had for one reason or another left the party.

Mr. Francis Poku, a former Minister for Security in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration noted that those of the late President’s friends who were very close to him knew he was not carved for politics but when the mantle fell on him to lead the country, he did his best.

He said right from his school days he had been known for his peaceful personality and he died a peaceful person and deserved the name “Asomdwehene” as he was popularly called.

In attendance was the Ghanaian community and well wishers of different nationalities.

On Sunday, July 28, the High Commission together with the Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana union will hold a Memorial Service in honour of the late president.

Information Section

Ghana High Commission

London