President John Dramani Mahama has paid tribute to late John Evans Atta Mills on the fourth anniversary of his death, calling him his ‘mentor and friend.
John Mahama served as Mills’ vice president while he was in office, and was sworn in to replace him as president following his death.
In a tweet on Sunday July 24, John Mahama described the late president as his “comrade, friend and mentor”
24th July, 2012. Prof Mills was "my comrade, my mentor, my friend". pic.twitter.com/MQSI37Snk8
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) July 24, 2016
Several high profile dignitaries today (Sunday), laid wreaths on the tomb of Atta Mills at the Asomdwee Park in Accra. The late Atta Mills’ son, Samuel Kofi Mills laid a wreath on his father’s tomb.
The solemn ceremony was also graced by Ghanaians from all walks of life, who turned up to pay their respects to the late third president of the country’s fourth republic.
Present at the event were the Former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda and her family, who all laid wreaths. Foreign Affairs Minister Hanna Tetteh, was one of several government officials who also graced the ceremony.
John Evans Atta Mills was a native of Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region. He was born at Tarkwa on July 21, 1944 and was educated at Achimota School and the University of Ghana, Legon.
He earned a Ph.D. in Law at the age of 27 from the London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies after completing his doctoral thesis in the area of taxation and economic development.
He then had a long stint teaching at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana before becoming the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
Mills was Vice-President from 1997 to 2001, under the administration of Jerry John Rawlings
He won the 2008 presidential elections on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), defeating the New Patriotic Party’s candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a run-off.
President Mills died at the 37 Military Hospital on July 24, 2012. It is however officially unknown what ailment killed him, leaving many to speculate.
