Death of President Mills, Ghana’s seamless transition

The shocking news of the death of Ghana’s president, Professor John Atta Mills, 68, filtered through the rather thick grey, cloudy and partly wet Tuesday mid-afternoon. Across the country and the political divide, his death has left Ghanaians in grieve.

Late President Mills

Seven days of morning has been declared. Opposition parties have also suspended their electioneering campaigns in a mark of respect.

That the president was not in perfect health was a fact known to most Ghanaians. In fact over the past several months rumours swirled the media of his death but each time Mills came out to disprove it and so even when the news broke of his death on Tuesday at the 37 Military Hospital, one of Ghana’s leading health facilities, many remained unconvinced until the Chief of Staff at the residency issued a press statement around 16.00 GMT.

Mills welcomes Obama in Accra

Earlier in June, the president returned from a medical checkup in the United States and declared he was well. He even embarked on a short aerobics, jogging on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport on arrival.

His demise on July 24 came as a huge surprise and a massive blow to the country.

This blog is not a review of his legacy as such but Prof. Mills, Asomdwehene (king of peace) as he was better known by Ghanaians, will be remembered for a number of things at home. As a person and president, the tax law professor was a typical Ghanaian gentleman: calm, honest, humble, diligent and God-fearing. 

 Presidency confirms his death

I am reliably informed that around midday, the president complained of pain at the back of his neck while working behind his desk in his office at the presidency – before heading to Nigeria later in the day. Doctors were called in. But it is even likely that he died at the presidency before being dispatched to the 37 Military Hospital 15 minutes drive from the presidency. He suffered from throat cancer. He also had difficulty with one eye.

As an evangelical Christian, his faith in God was unquestionable and he seized on every opportunity to thank God for His grace and mercies upon this country.

The soft spoken late president would also be remembered for his punctuality and hands-on attitude to work. His three-and-half years in office saw the national economy grow at an unprecedented 13.5 per cent and inflation drop to its lowest rate in the country’s history. Inflation has since inched up a bit to about 9.4 per cent by the end of June.

At his inauguration into office on January 7, 2009, he promised to be “father to all” and he lived up to his promise by being deeply passionate about the wellbeing of Ghanaians. Many have said he could not translate the passion and impressive economic indicators to tangible improvement in the quality of life of the ordinary Ghanaian.

This morning, a day after his death, many of his country men and women are clad in mourning clothes from the TV morning shows through the streets to offices, both public and private.

An optimist, Prof Mills had a calming influence on Ghana’s sometimes overly heated party politics. Albeit towards to the end he seemed a deeply unhappy, even irritated a man, as his political opponents and indeed some from high up within his own NDC party ranks openly attacked him on all fronts – his politics, policies and his person. He fell out with his former boss and mentor, former President Jerry Rawlings and his wife.

But Rawlings quietly and surprisingly visited Mills at the presidency barely two weeks before his death, possibly to patch up their strained relations.

Anyways, with just about five months to the next presidential and parliamentary elections in December, his untimely death posses some serious challenges to his party but much less so to the country.

Seamless transition

Barely six hours after his death and four hours of its confirmation by the presidency, Mills’ vice president, John Mahama, 53, was sworn-in as president in Parliament in accordance with Ghana’s constitution without the slightest glitch.

Mills' successor: President John Mahama

His death tosses up the chances of the ruling NDC to retain power at the December general elections in which Mills was set to contest.

Mahama is likely to be endorsed by the party hierarchy to contest the presidency on the NDC’s ticket.  It is the most logical thing to do, given the late stage of electioneering campaigns and the fact that Mahama was indeed running the country in all but name even while president Mills was in office.

Mills’ successor is widely respected right around the country and within the political and business classes. A former MP, he is regarded as another well-mannered, cool-headed, even- keeled and fine gentleman with a good grasp of issues.

He is lot media savvy having served as Communications Minister under the Rawlings administration. He read his inaugural speech in Parliament last night from his tablet.

Mahama could be cast as a young, highly respected and more energetic leader capable of connecting well with all Ghanaians, a “brother to all”! His main contender, Nana Akuffo Addo, 68, who was beaten by Mills in the 2008 presidential elections by the tiniest of margins, is a formidable candidate.

How the NDC manages its internal rifts will also be critical. For sometime now, Mahama has fallen out with the Rawlingses and so even though his new office offers him a fresh opportunity to reset their relations and renew strained ties, it is unlikely that he will easily win former president Rawlings and his wife. The Rawlings have set up a new political party, the National Democratic Party (NDP) although they have not pulled out of the NDC. The Rawlingses have not openly identified with the new party neither have they denied association.

Crucially, who Mahama picks as vice president to serve out the remaining term of the late president could play a decisive role to flesh out his strategy and chances in December. Two names have already popped up and these are PV Obeng, former de facto prime minister under the Rawlings military regime and Dr Kwesi Botchwey, a former finance minister (also under Rawlings) and an academic.

The death of President Mills’ and the swift seamless transition has galvanized the nation to consolidate the sense of unity and patriotism. It is fair to imagine at this stage that this half of the electioneering campaign even it resumes will be the most civil, sober and exciting in the run up to December.

Rest in perfect peace dear leader, Prof. John Fiifi Atta Mills!