Skulduggery on Professor Mills’ Death

The premature and startling death of Professor Mills in 2012 cannot be ignored until the truth is out. I had to hold my fire on the eve of the first anniversary of the tragedy since the topic was hammered to such a crescendo that my opinion would have been drowned in the countless monotonous effusions on the issue.

My innate conviction is that the former president was murdered! This controvertible point does not even acknowledge the incessant rumour-mongering that greeted the Professor’s cessation. The argument borders on the bungling public-relations faux-pas which were highlighted in trying to adduce various reasons for the Professor’s demise. This piece is not conspiratorial; the raison-d’etre of this article only relies on logical-cum-critical inquiry into Professor Mills’ bereavement—a demise which to all intents and purposes was orchestrated – just like the palace coups of yesteryears—for the sake of maintaining the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in power with the hitherto confirmed rumour that the peace-seeking gentleman was planning to resign from Ghana’s presidency.

It is an open secret that the late president had a few health concerns and notwithstanding the worn-out metaphors on the abruptness of that preordained blow; Professor Mills’ death was indeed unexpected! In the perplexity following the announcement of his death, Ghanaians were informed that “a massive stroke” was what sent the Professor to his early grave. This reason was then followed by elaborations of how he lifted his hands up into the sky and proclaimed: “Oh God, into your hands do I lay my soul!” The massive-stroke invention would have washed until its embellishment of hand-lifting and loud-voice purported prayer triggered a few critical questions to be posed.

For clarity, a stroke is a cerebrovascular accident which results in the rapid loss of brain function culminating in the inability to move one or more limbs, incapability to understand or formulate speech (see Donnan et al, 2008) and so on. These rudimentary details about stroke makes Dr Cadman-Mills’ story (the Professor’s brother who confirmed the hand-raising and the prayer story) sound highly unbelievable and at best a piece of concocted tale told in the Ananse style especially when the stroke suspected to have killed Professor Mills was so severe as to warrant the adjective “massive”. Unless, the Professor was such an archetypal superhuman who defied the symptoms and effects of stroke!

That brings into sharp focus the “massive” nature of the stroke which made it imperative for blood to ooze from his nostrils and his earlobes. This, according to the fictitious stories, led to his instantaneous death in another breadth. And yet, this same massive stroke brought to the fore the messenger of death before the Professor who was permitted to make one last speech of committing his soul into the hands of God. I learn that blood oozing from nostrils and ears is symptomatic of poisoning despite ascribing it to cancer—one of the diseases believed to have bedevilled the Professor.

Moreover, the unconfirmed reports of the late president dying at the Castle before being rushed to the 37 Military Hospital, the much ado with ambulances; his being hurried to a maternity ward notwithstanding the Military Hospital being equipped with a presidential suite; the non-existence of a hospital record and being shoved from pillar to post all leave much to be desired. Though these rumours may be denied vehemently; the truth shall stand either for posterity or at the “judgement seat of Christ”.

As the above thought was being contemplated, Seth Ofori, the late president’s former Press Secretary let slip the truth on Joy FM’s “Newsfile” programme of 28th July 2012. On that programme, Mr Ofori who was arrayed in mourning attire bashfully confirmed that, four days before the Professor’s death; NDC gurus were jostling for the vice-presidential position! It is capital to recall that President Mahama was the vice-president and that the clamouring for that position can only be suggested to affirm the fact that vice-president Mahama was going to be promoted. The aforementioned struggle for power represents the most consummate epitome of villainy with respect to the late president’s death.

The whole Ghana and the world had to imbibe the cacophonous “The president is healthier and will hand over in 2017”! In the course of these ostensible deceits, the poor Professor became the unfortunate puppet of some young, overambitious men who suddenly discovered that sycophancy is an indispensable key to unlock every door of opportunity. Thus, against sound medical advice, the poor man was forced to expose his impaired vocal cords; coerced to undertake a heart-tearing trot among other ridiculous machinations. For a learned man of doubtless integrity and incorruptible character to be cuffed and buffeted this way by a bunch of power-hungry criminal-politicians is depressing indeed!

Professor Mills has been dead for over a year—may he rest in peace—and we are yet to fathom what caused his demise. All that we know are a collection of lies whose inconsistencies expose them as such. In civilised societies, accidental deaths are subject to autopsies. Compare that with the Ghanaian situation where a whole sitting president dies under very dubious circumstances and nothing is done—even a dead sheep will be treated with dignity! In their frenzy to obscure the truth, the late president has been ennobled by the very people who had a hand in his murder by naming almost every monument in Ghana after him and blasphemously claiming he has replaced the Christ on God’s right-hand side!

Until the truth is revealed, some of us will not relent in our efforts to seek justice for a dead man. Why would NDC gurus be fighting over the vice-presidential slot four days before Professor Mills’ death? Was he given a “slow poison” whose potent effects could be felt on the fourth day? Or were those butting for the vice-presidential position soothsayers with the inimitable penchant to foretell Professor Mills’ death? The whole event must incite pity and fear: pity for Professor Mills and fear lest his plight should befall another president! The fact is that the late president was murdered and only bootlicking buffoons may be fooled with spin-doctoring and its attendant conflicting cock and bull tales.

Thomas Dickens

(yesiah2003@yahoo.com)

www.thomasdickens.blogspot.com