UWR bids President John Atta Mills farewell

Wa, Aug 10, GNA – The people in the Upper West Region on Friday organised a funeral service to bid President John Atta Mills's farewell at the forecourt of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).

The service which was organised in accordance with custom and cultural practices of the people in Region started with the beating of the talking drums to announce the initiation of the ceremony.

A symbolic casket dressed in national colours with President Mills's picture by it was laid in the ceremony and mourners including members of the National Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party and the Convention Peoples Party as well as the security services, government workers, traditional rulers and traders filed past to show their last respects to the departed president.

Whiles some women mourners from Wa Township sang dirges saying “Death is something that cannot be paid for, if not they would have paid for President Mills's death to enable him to live longer”, others said “the Kapok tree has fallen and the seeds have spread. Darkness is falling and my friends, mothers and fathers have started calling their children to come home and but for me who else will also call me.”

The Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Duogo Yakubu, said President Mills was a “father for all” and that people in the Region would forever remember him as a unifier and a peacemaker whose administration brought a lot of development projects to the area.

Mr Kofi Danso-Akyeampong, the Upper West Regional Police Commander, said the Ghana Police Service had benefited a lot from the President Mills's administration saying office and residential accommodation, vehicles, equipment, enhanced salary and other logistics were some of the support provided to them by the administration.

A representative of the Chief Imam of Wa, Sheik Dawda Yahaya, pleaded with Allah to have mercy upon him and to give a perfect resting place to the President.

Reverend Daniel Seidu, a Representative of Local Council of Churches, said President Mills was a God fearing person who did nothing without calling on God to lead him.

Three wreaths were laid on half of the Regional Coordinating Council, the National Democratic Congress and the Security Services whiles the Regional Police Band provided music.

GNA