'Atta Mills Institute unwelcome, unauthorised, unsanctioned'– Mills family to Koku Anyidoho

The family of the late President John Evans Atta Mills is unhappy with the activities of the Atta Mills Institute run by Koku Anyidoho.

The head of the family and brother of the late President, Dr Cadman Mills, said the family is considering seeking legal advice to stop the activities of the Atta Mills Institute (AMI).

“The so-called Atta Mills Institute is unauthorised, it is also unsanctioned, unappreciated and it is most unwelcome," Dr Cadman Mills said at the J.E.A. Mills Commemorative lecture in Accra on Tuesday evening (July 26, 2022).

The late President’s family last week expressed anger at Mr Anyidoho and the Coastal Development Authority accusing them of desecrating the tomb of the former President.

Mr Samuel Atta Mills, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo Abirem and brother of the late President Atta Mills led the accusations.

“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.

He also bemoaned the group’s disregard for the family of the late President.

"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?"

"This is an insult to the family. This is an insult to [us], the Akans. This is an insult to the nation…” he added.

The Asomdwee Park, where the late president was buried, had been in a poor state due to lack of maintenance.

The Coastal Development Authority (CODA) and the Atta Mills Institute renovated the park and inaugurated it on Sunday, July 24, 2022, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the death of Prof Mills.

In response, CODA and Mr Anyidoho denied tempering with the body and desecrating the tomb. Mr Anyidoho described the allegations as “ridiculous and impossible.”

John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills served as President of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012. He was previously the Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings.

He is the first Ghanaian head of state to die in office.

Source: Classfmonline.com