“For me, Prof. Atta-Mills was a phenomenon best felt than described,” Former President John Dramani Mahama posted on Facebook on Sunday, July 24, 2022
At the launch of John Evans-Atta Mills Memorial Heritage which was a commemoration of the 10th anniversary of his passing, Mr. Mahama narrates events that took place before the death of Mr. Atta-mills, who was also known in Ghana as the “Asomdweehene” which literally means the “King of Peace”.
Mr. Mahama said President Atta-Mills was supposed to travel to Nigeria on the day he died. He [Mahama] had been notified by the Secretary to the President, Sir James Bebaako Mensah that he would be asked by Prof. Mills to act as President because he [Atta-Mills] was likely to travel to Nigeria that day.
Mr. Mahama continued by saying that, “it was later affirmed by Professor Mills’ Secretary that he [Prof. Mills] had requested specifically that I stand in for him at the official launch of the Brand Ghana Project, which was to take place at the International Conference Centre. I attended that function with the Chief of Staff, Mr. John Martey Newman.”
He added, “Upon our return to the Castle, which at that time was still the seat of government, and as I proceeded to my office, I asked Chief of Staff, Martey Newman, to inform Prof. that I was going to cross over and see him to discuss a few important issues after meeting a former President who was waiting in my office.”
According to Mr. Mahama, a few moments after that, the Chief of Staff called him to inform him that Professor Mills had been rushed to the 37 Military Hospital in an emergency. To his surprise and disbelief, he wrapped up his meeting with the Former President in his office and started organizing his staff to rush to the hospital.
Mahama- “It was then that Sir James Bebaako Mensah, the Secretary to Mr. Atta-mills entered my office, and delivered the devastating news, “Prof is dead? How? How can Prof die? This and many others [which I have forgotten by the way] were the questions I asked. The world came to a standstill.”
When the news of Prof. Mills’ death got to him, it broke him down,
Mr. Mahama further added, “Nothing in my political life and experience had prepared me for a moment like this. The shelter I have been working under Prof had been a wonderful experience. His death left me in trepidation of stepping up to the plate, realizing the huge responsibility one was stepping into and that the back was going to stop with me, and no one else.”
He concluded with his experience during his swearing-in ceremony. “The swearing-in ceremony was a blur and I struggled to complete my acceptance speech without breaking down in front of a sorrowful nation. When I left the podium, I missed my way back. I went and sat back in my Vice Presidential seat until the uproar from the MPs reminded me that I had sworn the Presidential oath and should move to the ceremonial Presidential seat. The rest is history to be narrated at another appropriate time.”
The Late Former President, Professor Evans Atta-Mills died on July 24, 2012. He was the first sitting President in Ghana to have died while still serving his term.
Former President John Dramani Mahama described late President John Evans Atta-Mills as an honourable and dignified statesman whose love for his country and his people was without question.
source: www.graphic.com
