How Atta Mills died is nobody's business — Brother

Mr Samuel Atta Mills, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) and younger brother of late President John Evans Atta Mills is asking Ghanaians to allow the soul of his late brother rest in peace.

Instead of poking their nose into what led to the former President's death, he urge Ghanaians to focus on his achievements.

Irrespective of whose OX is gored, he made it clear that how the late President died is none of anybody's business.

“I hope and wish that Ghanaians would focus on what he did, instead of how he died, because it is none of anybody's business,” Mr Mills made the remarks on the floor of Parliament in his contribution to a statement by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the MP for North Tongu in honour of the late President as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of his demise.

He said in the House, “Mr Speaker, today is my brother's birthday, and when it comes to his achievements, I think I will allow other people to talk about it.”

The conversation about what led to the death of the late former President resurfaced when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the founder of the Atta Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho was accused of tampering with the grave of the late President at Asomdwe Park, Accra.

Mr Samuel Atta Mills alleged that the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) and the Atta Mills Institute led by Mr Koku Anyidoho desecrated the tomb of the late President.

“A group calling itself Atta Mills Institute that the family doesn’t even recognise, and Coastal Development Authority, have gone to break the grave of President John Evans Atta Mills".

"They have removed the tomb, and they claim that they are rebuilding it,” the late President’s brother told the Parliamentary press corps.

The brother of the late President described the action by the group as culturally offensive.

"My question is that: why will you touch someone’s grave without the family’s permission?"

"We have traditions. Now that they have touched someone’s grave, is the body still in there? What did you put in that grave? What kind of rituals did you perform over there? Why will you go and touch the grave without informing us? Who has the body now? Coastal Development Authority under whose authority did you do this? Why do you always make us go through grief every time?" he asked.

"And you allow that Koku Anyidoho, that buffoon working with Atta Mills Institute, so-called, to go and touch this grave without informing our family head. This is a former president. Why will the government allow this to happen?"

Mr Mills' description of Koku Anyidoho as a buffoon provoked matters.

Koku Anyidoho in equal volley challenged Samuel Atta Mills to disclose the autopsy of the late President if he is man enough.

Mr. Anyidoho said he might be compelled to reveal some secrets about Mr Mills if he dares him.

In a statement on Anyidoho’s Twitter page spotted by Modernghana News, he alleged that Mr Mills has never celebrated his brother (Prof. John Fiifi Atta Mills) since his death.

“I am happy that Sammy Atta-Mills has opened the can of worms that I have been trying very hard not to open,” he wrote.

Anyidoho added, “Sammy Atta-Mills has never celebrated his brother; he wants me to tell the story of his wickedness towards his brother?

“Sammy Atta-Mills says I am a buffoon? I see! Let him produce the autopsy report of the late President Atta-Mills. Sammy Atta-Mills should tell us, what killed his brother. He says, his brother died in his hands: he should tell us how his brother died.”

Late President Mills was born on 21st July 1944 at Tarkwa in the Western Region and died on July 24th, 2012, in Accra; thus, he is the first Ghanaian President to die in office.