DEATH OF A PRESIDENT, GHANA'S ATTAH MILLS IS GONE.

Icheoku commiserates with the people and government of the former Gold Coast, now Ghana, on the death of their ebullient, very dynamic and achieving President John Attah Mills. Late President John Evans Atta Mills was 68years and died of esophagus cancer, a cancer of the throat which has afflicted him for quite some time now. Like all mortals, the president has answered his call and has now returned to his maker to render account of his stewardship while sojourning here on earth. Hopefully the Lord will find him sufficiently accomplished in his task to be worthy of eternal reward.

An aside however, not too long ago Nigeria, a somewhat neighboring country sharing the same West Africa sub-region with Ghana lost their President Umaru YarAdua to leukaemia or cancer of the bloodstream. Both presidents dying in office is where the comparison began and ended for the two countries, period. Attah Mills sickness was lived openly to the knowledge of his Ghana people unlike Umaru Yar'Adua's sickness that was shrouded in utmost secrecy and only known to his wife and a very few kitchen trusted aides. While going for medical checkups and treatments Attah Mills gracefully handed over to his deputy Mahama while Umaru Yar'Adua sidetracked his deputy Jonathan and instead delegated a minister to act in his stead. Attah Mills did not waste Ghana's resources trying desperately to stay alive at all cost but Umaru Yar'dua, even when it was medically obvious that he would not live could care less and even flew several medical ambulances, life-sustaining machines as well personnel into Aso Rock from all over the world. Attah Mills did not go for extended hospital stays overseas without the people of Ghana knowing about it while Umaru Yar'Adua once became known as a Nigeria president governing from foreign hospitals beds.

Simply stated, Icheoku says that the people of Ghana did the blackman proud with the way they, in a very civilized manner, managed and handled the indisposition of President Attah Mills including the speedy and seamless transition of power to his successor and his former vice president who has since been sworn in to serve out his term. Recall that it took an act of the Nigerian National Assembly after Nigeria's near political paralysis to authorize Umaru Yar'Adua's then vice president and current Nigeria President Jonathan to even function in Umaru YarAdua's absence. Ghana got it right and Icheoku commends. Hopefully the rest of Africa will learn from this, especially Nigeria; and lets hope that the new president of Ghana will continue the good works of the late President Attah Mills for which he earned a place in millions of Ghanaians hearts as well as so many well-wishers the world over, including Icheoku. Adieu President Mills and may your soul find rest in the bosom of the Almighty Lord.