Former President John Dramani Mahama has paid tribute to late President Professor John Evans Atta Mills, saying that the void left by his departure will never be filled.
According to the former President, even though it has been a decade, the country’s collective grief and pain following the departure of the Ghanaian leader is still fresh in the people’s minds.
“A huge void has existed in our hearts to this day, and it is highly unlikely that void will ever be filled,” he said.
Speaking at a solemn but dignified ceremony marking the tenth anniversary of the late Ghanaian leader’s death at Accra’s Asomdwee Park, President Mahama praised the late Professor’s remarkable peaceful disposition and unifying leadership trait.
“Friends and foes alike rarely achieve convergence on the character of a man and express collective loss in the way that we did when death robbed us of this colossus of a personality… he was a phenomenon best felt than described,” he observed.
At the Asomdwee Park were the family of the late President, the leadership and members of the National Democratic Congress, and Ghanaians from all walks of life.
Mr. Mahama noted that President Mills did not allow power to change who he was.
“He strove very hard to fashion a new kind of politics for our nation, one in which the destructive cycle of vengeance was relegated to the background and in which fair, just and equitable treatment of all Ghanaians was placed on the front burner.”
“Here was a man in whom enormous powers had been vested as President of the Republic of Ghana and yet was not moved to use those powers unjustly or in pursuit of the letter of any sort against any person.”
“He did not believe that the mandate and resources of the people of Ghana, periodically vested in those who are privileged to serve in government, was to be used for the exclusive pursuit of parochial partisan or sectarian interests. Neither did he view the presidency as a birthright, which should result in arrogant leadership and disrespect for the people he governed. Rather, he viewed the office as an opportunity to do good to all irrespective of creed, belief, political coloration, ethnicity or status, and one that should lead the effort to develop our country on sound principles and values. He governed as president with an even hand and brought a touch of decency to that office.”
President Mills was the third President of the Fourth Republic. He died in office on July 24, 2012 having served three-and-half of a four year term as President. His administration holds the best economic record under the Fourth Republic with a record GDP growth rate of 14.4% that significantly was driven by the non-oil sector. He also holds the record for the longest period of sustaining single digit inflation for 33 months.
