Professor Mills Son Is Back

The issue of whether Professor Evans Atta Mills has actually sired a son or not, is likely to rear its head once again during the 2008 general elections. The debate to ascertain the paternal responsibility of Professor Mills, three-time presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to a teenage boy, which featured prominently during the 2000 and 2004 general elections, would certainly be revisited.

Already, political analysts and social commentators have started wagging their tongues, as to whether he is a 'dead-beat' father or not.

Cataloging a number of instances to prove his case, Coomson said the failure to act when it mattered most, rendered the learned professor a woeful presidential material.

The publisher, who was speaking on Joy, over the weekend, said Mills had failed to give parental care to his only son, and instead passed on this vital responsibility to his junior sister in Cape Coast. He claimed further that the NDC presidential hopeful even failed to indicate he had a child when he was presenting his Curriculum Vitae to National Security some years ago.

According to Coomson, as Professor Mills went red in the face whenever that issue was raised, it could be a potential threat to his campaign during the 2008 elections.

Even though the issue had been raised a couple of times, Coomson insisted it was still worth discussing, more so when the child, now about 14 years, was still a minor in his formative state of development and badly needed parental care.

Apart from that, Coomson indicated the issue would remain a thorny one for as long as Mills wanted to be president, whose background was very vital to the people of Ghana.

“He is duty bound to provide for the child who is a minor. Even at the child's naming ceremony, he refused to attend, saying his wife would not permit him,” Coomson again claimed. He posited that though the NDC presidential candidate had gone out of wedlock to have the child, it was his responsibility to cater for and acknowledge him.

“In seeking the presidency of this country, nothing is hidden, and Professor Mills knows it. We should know about your health status, blood group, and everything about you.” He again punched the former vice president over his apparent inability to restrain the former president, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, from the series of 'boom' statements he had made over the years, including the use of vulgar language against respectable personalities in this country.

“He must show leadership by example. Even if he could not openly protest to his former boss, he could have advised him,” Coomson challenged. The publisher wondered what the professor had done for the country since leaving office apart from fighting for the presidency every election year, adding that there would be a lot of questions for him at the appropriate time.

Touching further on Professor Mills' resourcefulness, he indicated that being a former tax commissioner, the presidential hopeful should have seen the need to establish an income-generating venture that would provide jobs for the youth as well as generate tax for the state.

Even though Mr Coomson said he did not want to delve into defamatory issues, he promised to deal with them at the appropriate time.

Mr Kweku Baaku, editor-in-chief of the Crusading Guide, who was also a member of the panel, stated that Professor Mills was likely to be challenged over other issues, including that of the 31st December Women's Movement occupying a private property for over 20 years, free of charge.

However, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, MP for the Bawku Central Constituency and spokesman for the Mills Campaign Team, objected, and said the issues raised were mere speculations targeted at damaging the reputation of the professor.

According to him, even though it was true that the former vice president had a son living with his sister, there was nothing to show that the father was not catering for him. The MP said the issue was raised in the last elections, so he was not surprised it had popped up once more.