A wreath-laying ceremony was yesterday held at the Asomdwe Park in Accra to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the passing of former President John Evans Atta Mills.
The solemn event was attended by the former President and National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful, John Dramani Mahama; the Speaker of Parliament,
Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and other NDC bigwigs and supporters.
The event was under the auspices of the NDC and the J.E.A Mills Memorial Heritage (JEAMMH).
Wreath laying
In all, six wreaths were laid.
The Speaker of Parliament laid the first wreath on behalf of Parliament and MPs; former President Mahama also laid one, while the MP for Krowor, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, laid another on behalf of the widow, Ernestina Naadu Mills.
Others were laid by the Atta Mills family; Mr Nketia, on behalf of the NDC party, while some members of JEAMMH also laid one to commemorate the event, with the Living Choir providing some soothing songs in the process.
The sermon was preached by the Director, International Missions, Methodist Church Ghana, and the Superintendent Minister of the Ashongman Circuit, Very Rev. Dr Dominic Dadzie.
A minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late President after which a siren was blown to mark the time he passed some 11 years ago.
Prayers were also said for his family.
Eulogy
Former President Mahama extolled the virtues of the late President, and entreated citizens to emulate his sterling character and leadership style, adding, “as we commemorate his passing, let us also celebrate his life and achievements”.
He said Prof. Mills stood for selflessness, humility, tolerance to divergent views, and was a peacemaker, unifier par excellence and godly.
“Prof, as we affectionately called him, was a distinguished man who served his country with the utmost integrity and humility while building a better Ghana for all, not just a few.
“We still bear the deep scars of pain all these years and are unlikely to forget how we felt on that fateful day of July 24, 2012″, Mr Mahama added.
He said the late President’s legacy of socio-economic growth, prosperity, peace and tolerance of opposing views would continue to inspire many people.
“Here lies a man who governed this country with sensitivity and humility and superintended our economy with great skill.
It was no surprise that under his stewardship the nation famously recorded its highest ever Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 14.4 per cent, with the largest of this growth coming from the real sector rather than oil,” Mr Mahama said.
He further said that Prof. Mills still held the record as the President whose tenure had the longest period of single-digit inflation, adding “In his days, almost all key economic indicators were pointing to the right direction” as compared to the current economic challenges.
“As Chairman of his Economic Management Team, I can attest to his sterling leadership that led to these achievements,” Mr Mahama said.
