POLITICS

Ghana’s President John Mills Dead.

The West African state of Ghana has been thrown into an atmosphere of mourning following the death of her president John Evans Atta Mills yesterday July 24.

The 68 year old passed away at exactly 2:15pm local time at the country’s premier military hospital, the 37 Military Hospital, located in the Capital, Accra.

Sources at the presidency say he was rushed to the hospital on Monday evening after complaining of severe pains. A full autopsy report on his death is yet to be made public.

His death comes few weeks after he had travelled to the United States of America for a routine medical check-up, amidst concerns from a cross section of the Ghanaian public about the true state of his health.

Chief of Staff at Ghana's seat of presidency Henry Martey Newman confirmed the sad news on Tuesday afternoon.

“It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the President of the Republic of Ghana - His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills,” he said in a terse statement.

“The death occurred at the 37 Military Hospital this afternoon while receiving medical attention after being taken ill a few hours earlier”.

Atta Mills becomes the first Ghanaian head of state to die while serving his term in office. He was survived by his wife of long-standing and first lady of the Republic of Ghana, Ernestina Naadu Mills.

John Dramani Mahama, who until yesterday afternoon was the Vice President, has been sworn in as President in accordance with the West African country’s constitution.

He has thus assumed official, executive and constitutional powers as head of state, and is to lead the country for the next five months before elections are held.

Ghana goes to the polls in December to elect a new leader, in what was originally a straight and cut-out election between John Atta Mills and the opposition leader Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo.

Atta Mills became president of Ghana in 2009 after the National Democratic Congress took over the reins of the administration of the West African country from the National Patriotic Party, who was in power for eight years

He is the third and current President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009.

The late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was born in Tarkwa on 21 July 1944. He studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He was also a Fulbright scholar at Stanford Law School.

He was awarded a PhD at age 27 after successfully defending his doctoral thesis in taxation and economic development. A law lecturer at the University of Ghana for many years, he became a visiting professor of Temple Law School (Philadelphia, USA). He also authored several publications relating to taxation.

In astute public servant of repute, Mills was the Acting Commissioner of Ghana’s Internal Revenue Service from 1986 to 1993, and became the substantive Commissioner from 1993 to 1996.

He served as Vice President of the Republic of Ghana from 1997 to 2001, deputing for former president and founder of the National Democratic Congress Jerry John Rawlings.

In 2000, Mills became the NDC’s candidate for the Presidential elections after Jerry Rawlings had served his constitutionally mandated term as president. He however lost out to the NPP’s John Kufour.

NDC  RALLY TRULY UNPRECEDENTED.

The euphoria characterising the momoth rally of the rulling NDC party leading to the General Election is truly

unprecedented. Tons of thousands of people gathered at the Mantse Agbonaa park at about 11 am Saturday, 17th March, 2012.

Upon arriving at the scene that morning, I was astonished with the colourful array of the NDC colors, Red, White, Green and Black everywhere I passed amidst singing, drumming and dancing from caders of the party. There were also the display of different Ghanaian dishes for the consumption of the supporters. A lady seller who I interviewed on condition of anonymity mentioned that there was low patronage of food at the rally and less people present compared to that of the Npps. Indicating that perhaps it was a sign of the economic hardship of President Mills government. Therefore, I sought to find a balance view from a gentleman who incidentally is a member of the NDC. He gave his name as Mr. Prince Nii Ayi Bontey, a native of Gbese and a card bearing member of the party. He stated that the allegation that the crowd present compared to the Npps being small in number is never true. This is because, any member of the NDC is determined to come

to the rally in a direct response to the Npps rally at the same venue, therefore they came in their massive numbers. There were some slight showers that afternoon but party members were not perterbed.

Responding to the issue of party members not able to afford food at the rally grounds, Nii Ayi Bontey reieterated that people do not go to rallys necessarily to eat but may prefer to drink water more. However, they have a choice as to what to buy.

He is expecting a clear message from the president on the way forward regarding theupcoming election but was quick to add that he could not comment on any specific areas for now since his excellency President John Evans Atta Mills has not spoken yet and would not like to speculate. On the issue of Former President absence from the rally, he gave me a proverb in Ga, that literary translates into English that, "Everybodys mothers soup is dedlicious, so whether good or bad, NDC is still NDC." Thus, they love the party.

President Mills gave a rather short speech, " If this is a party in dissarray, I cannot imagine a party in unity." he said. "The good Lord gave us the showers to cool the temperature." he added. On the biometric registration, he said, "If you do not register, we cannot win."  "Ghana will continue to be a beacon in Africa."

"Every life here is precious, everyone here is a President or Minister.Therefore, drivers make sure you drive our jewels back home safely." he ended.

The activities at the rally grounds ended at 5pm that day with the presidential convoy driving through the principal street of Jamestown here in Accra.

-Story by Malise Otoo.

News Editor.

 VICTOR SMITH ACCUSE NPP OF PLANNING ASSASSINATION OF

 FORMER PREZ RAWLINGS IN 2001.

In an interview with a Radio Station in Accra, Victor Smith accused the previous  Kufour Administration of planning an assassination just a year

after winning power in 2000 but former Ambassador to Czech Republic , Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe rebarted that this was untrue and sheer ignorance on the part

of Victor Smith.

Stay tuned for this developing Story.

 ALFRED WAYOME GRANTED BAIL.

The  Businessman at the centre of the contentious GhC 51 million judgment debt payment, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, has finally been released, five days after securing bail.

His aide Kwame Tawiah confirmed the on Friday evening.

“Glory be to God. .. he is full of joy,” he exclaimed.

The lawyers for the businessman on Thursday got the initial GhC 54 million bail bond slashed to GhC 20 million with three sureties. However, he spent an extra night in cells because they were unable to meet the required conditions for his release.

The marathon search for a landed property to stand surety for the beleaguered philanthropist came to an end on Friday afternoon paving the way for the touted National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier to be released.

Mr. Woyome and three others – Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh and his wife as well as Paul Asimenu - were arrested and charged a fortnight ago over their alleged involvement in the judgment debt payment scandal.

The businessman has been charged for defrauding by false pretense, conspiracy to commit crime and corrupting public officials in the infamous GhC51 million judgment debt paid him after an alleged contract to build and renovate some stadia ahead of the CAN 2008 tournament with the erstwhile Kufuor administration was terminated.

The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) cited Mr. Woyome to have transferred about GhC 400,000 from his bank account to Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh’s wife right after the judgment debt was paid, but the interim EOCO report failed to mention reasons behind the payment.

The case has been adjourned until March 5.

On March 5, 2012 the state proscecutor prayed the court for more time to present two key witnesses to the court and subsequently open the case.

Mr.Woyomes assests has since been freezed by the Court.

Stay tuned for more from Listening Post Ghana

Story by Malise Otoo.