Prof Atta Mills never ‘run down’ Kufuor’s government – Pratt recalls

After narrowly beating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) then-presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a runoff election by 50.23% to 49.77%, former President Prof John Evans Atta Mills became the third president of Ghana in the fourth republic, succeeding John Agyekum Kufuor.

But barely three years into his reign as president, he succumbed to complications of ill health and was pronounced dead at the 37 military hospital on July 24, 2012.

What is left of him is the budding memories which according to several Ghanaians have been etched in their minds and hearts.

One of such Ghanaians is veteran journalist and secretary of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP), Kwesi Pratt Jnr who shared a ‘fairly warm relationship with the late president.

After eight years of Prof Mills’ demise, it was still an emotional episode with Kwesi Pratt when GhanaWeb interacted with him about his late friend.

Recounting some of his fondest political memories of the late professor, Mr Pratt recalled that Prof. Mills was never one who took glories of his predecessors in the name of politics.

He said Mills never failed to acknowledge the developmental efforts of his immediate predecessor, John Agyekum Kufuor at any event.

Narrating one such event, he said “The other thing too which was very remarkable about him was simply the fact that he did not run down the previous administration. I was so moved when on one occasion he was commissioning a road project and actually gave the credit to former President J.A Kufuor who had come before him.

Mr Pratt added that “he said ‘this project was started by President J.A Kufuor, I have come just to finish it and inaugurate it and that he deserves some of the credit. That was remarkable and it takes a very honest leader to do that…”

Prior to his election as the president of Ghana, Mills served as the Vice President and Chairman of the Economic Management Team and Chairman of the Police Council under Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings from 1996 to 2000.