Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has challenged Ghanaians to reflect on how differently the country might have developed if late former President John Evans Atta Mills had completed his first term and gone on to serve a second.
Speaking at the 14th Commemorative Lecture in honour of the late former President on Wednesday, July 22, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng described Prof. Mills as a leader whose legacy continues to be defined by peace, humility, integrity, transparency, accountability and ethical leadership.
He said the late President, who served as Ghana’s third President under the Fourth Republic, governed with a strong commitment to the rule of law, good governance and servant leadership.
“All those watching or listening within Ghana and across the world will agree that the legacy of Professor Mills is defined by peace, humility, integrity, transparency, accountability, academic excellence, servant leadership, and the rest,” he said.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng noted that although Prof. Mills served for only three and a half years before his death in 2012, his administration left behind achievements that continue to deserve national recognition.
“It is good to remember what Professor Mills accomplished in the three and a half years that God gave him to serve Ghana,” he stated.
He, however, said reflecting on the late President’s leadership naturally raises questions about what Ghana’s progress might have looked like had he remained in office longer.
“Yet, remembering what he stood for compels us to ask a more searching question. What would have been the condition of Ghana today if President Mills had had the strength to complete his first term and most probably also serve a second term?” he asked.
Prof. Mills assumed office on January 7, 2009, and served until his death on July 24, 2012, while still in his first term.
He was laid to rest at Asomdwe Park on August 10, 2012. Following years of neglect, friends, admirers and loyalists of the late President appealed to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to rehabilitate the memorial park.
The renovated facility was subsequently commissioned on July 24, 2022, to mark the 10th anniversary of Prof. Mills’ passing.
The commemorative lecture brought together political leaders, academics, civil society organisations and members of the public to celebrate the life, leadership and enduring legacy of the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
Credit: Adomonline