Four members of the Majority group in Parliament, have filed a private member’s motion, seeking the constitution of a bi-partisan group to probe the death of the late President John Evans Atta-Mills, who was widely known to have died from throat cancer.
In recent times, his aide and Director of Communications, Koku Anyidoho, who is the Executive Director of the Atta Mills Institute, who had shared many personal secrets with the highly revered law professor, has been demanding a probe into the late president’s death, although he had been on many of the late President’s “routine medical checkups” abroad long before his death.
But of major concern to many, especially supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the loud silence of the Atta-Mills family, including his wife, Ernestina Naadu Mills, his son, Sam Kofi Atta Mills, his brothers; Dr Cadman Atta Mills and Samuel Atta Mills, who is the MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Constituency in the Central Region, who was with him till his last breath.
Aside the family, John Henry Martey Newman and Bebaako Mensah, who served as Chief of Staff of and Secretary to President Mills, and were with him till the end, are also thought to be allowing this politically commercialized mischief to fester. Some known faces are busy cashing in on this in the name of trying to keep the Atta Mills legacy alive.
The late President’s medical condition was widely known long before he got to the Presidency. Indeed, ahead of the 2008 Presidential election, there was controversy about whether he should step down and be replaced with Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah with things escalating to the point of a disclosure of a text message of late President Jerry John Rawlings being leaked.
Again, Prof. Mills had once been declared dead in South Africa, where he had gone for medical treatment but he was later made to allay fears by speaking on a radio stations in Accra, and got back later to Ghana to a rousing welcome at the Kotoka International Airport, looking further emaciated.
The four members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) behind this motion is led by Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh Dompreh but it’s unclear what the grounds for the probe are, but if the motion is admitted by the Speaker and tabled for debate, the sponsors would be required to provide a basis for their motion.
It comes a former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho has said he called for an investigation into the death of the late Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, Ghana’s former President who died on the seat, because he has been accused of having a hand in his death.
In series of tweets on Thursday February 17, the Found and Director of the Atta-Mills Memorial Institute said “I love President Atta-Mills, but I have a RIGHT to protect the Anyidoho Family name. The INQUEST, is to save my PRECIOUS FAMILY NAME! The INQUEST has got nothing to do with any other FAMILY name.”
Aside, Frank Annoh Dompreh, Tolon MP, Habib Iddrisu, Mpraeso MP, Davis Opoku Ansah, and Tema Central MP, Yves Hanson Nortey complete the quartet of lawmakers seeking the intervention of the house to investigate the death which occurred on July 24, 2012.
Atta-Mills had returned to Ghana after visiting the US for medical checks shortly before his death.
Mr. Atta-Mills, who died aged 68, served as Vice President to the former military ruler, Jerry Rawlings between 1997-2001.
He came to power after narrowly winning over the then governing NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, in the 2008 elections.
Though the cause of his death was not released, Atta-Mills had reportedly been battling throat cancer, and in the days leading up to his death, had been in the US for some medical attention.
His office announced that Atta-Mills died hours after being taken ill. Mills’ brother, Dr. Cadman Mills, later disclosed that he had died from complications of a massive hemorrhagic stroke resulting from a brain aneurysm.
But Mr. Anyidoho, is calling for an investigation 10 years after the death of Professor Mills.
He added “The peabrians saying I have no locus to ask for an, INQUEST, into the death of President Atta-Mills, should know that; I am doing so because I have been accused of having a hand in the death of President Atta-Mills. I am doing so, to save, the Anyidoho Family name.”
“I am an accomplished citizen of Ghana, with All Rights accruing to me under the Constitution of the Republic. After 10 years of his death, I am respectfully requesting for an, INQUEST, into the death of President John Evans Atta-Mills. God bless our Homeland Ghana,” he earlier said in a tweet on Thursday February 3.
Meanwhile, a text message purported to be coming for the younger brother of president Mills, Samuel Atta Mills on the MPs calling for investigation into Former Prez Mills death reads.
“Why are the MPs crying more than the bereaved?
It’s when there are no elders in the house that the children go wayward.
Why do they care about Attah Mills than their own J.B Dankwa who was murdered in cold blood?
People are suffering in this country. You don’t sit in the front desk for useless things like this.
They should know the difference between stupidity and wisdom. Every year they want to use professor Mills death to do politics.
How many times have Annor Dompre spoken about the strikes going on in this country? How many times has he spoken about E-Levy?
It is time for people with brains to talk.
What worries me is there are so many intelligent MPs in the majority side, why have they kept them away from the front desk and allowed people like Annor Dompreh to speak anyhow?
I know Habib Iddrisu very well. His mother was a very good friend to Prof Mills. For him to get involved in this is below him.
It is not necessary to investigate profs death. We know what caused his death. I have his autopsy report with me.
So is this their level of politics? They should be ashamed of themselves.
People voted them to come to parliament to engage in things that will benefit the whole nation. Things are becoming harder. Fuel prices are rising. Those are the things we should be worried about as members of Parliament.
When they set up this committee, they should called me as their first witness and I will be the last witness they will call.
I am a blood brother of professor John Evans Attah Mills. From the same mother and father. I was in custody of his dead body. I was with him when he became president till the day he died. He passed away in my hands. How dare you guys always bring up this hurt. WHY??”
