Late President Mills Remembered

A solemn remembrance ceremony was held to mark the 6th anniversary of the death of former President John Evans Atta Mills at the Asomdwee Park in Accra yesterday.

Some family members of the late President and National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithful attended the ceremony.

They included Mr Kofi Sam Atta-Mills, a son of the late President Mills; Mr Samuel Atta Mills, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA), a brother of the late President, and Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, a former Minister of National Security.

They sang hymns, said prayers and sprinkled perfumed water on the tomb.

Background

President Mills passed away on July 24, 2012 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

He was laid to rest on August 10, 2012 at the Geese Park, now known as Asomdwee Park, close to the Osu Castle in Accra. He was 68.

LATE MILLS LEGACY

John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) was a Ghanaian politician and legal scholar who served as President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 election. Previously he was Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and he stood unsuccessfully in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was the first Ghanaian head of state to die in office.

Contribution to sports

He contributed to the Ghana Hockey Association, National Sports Council of Ghana, and Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. He enjoyed hockey and swimming, and once played for the national hockey team (he remained a member of the Veterans Hockey Team until his death).

Presidency

On 21 December 2006, Mills was overwhelmingly elected by the NDC as its candidate for the 2008 presidential election with a majority of 81.4% (1,362 votes), far ahead of his opponents, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, and Eddie Annan. In 2008, he was elected president of Ghana, after a keenly contested three round election. He died on 24 July 2012 while still in office.