President John Dramani Mahama has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, describing him as a leader who governed with a deep moral compass and whose legacy continues to guide the conscience of the nation.
Speaking during a solemn ceremony at Asomdwee Park to mark the 13th anniversary of Professor Mills’ passing, President Mahama reflected on the late leader’s enduring values and the powerful example he left for Ghana’s current and future leaders.
In a tone marked by emotion and reverence, President Mahama recalled the events of July 24, 2012, the day Ghana lost its sitting president.
“It’s almost exactly like the same day that the unfortunate tragedy happened. The weather I remember was exactly the same, and after his death, for many months, the weather in Accra remained overcast and cold; there was a sudden cold that swept over the land.”
President John Dramani Mahama
Addressing a gathering of dignitaries including Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, and the family of the late President, President Mahama said the nation had gathered once again on the sacred grounds of Asomdwee Park “under the gentle shade of remembrance” to honour a man whose “life, leadership, and legacy continue to speak profoundly to the conscience of our nation from his grave.”
Thirteen years may have passed, he said, but the pain of President Mills’ departure remains, noting that his sudden transition left not only a deep vacuum in Ghana’s political and national life, but also in the hearts of those who knew him well, worked with him, and were touched by his quiet strength and unwavering humanity.
President Mahama, who served as Vice President to Mills, said the late President exemplified humility, integrity, discipline, and peace, and stood tall not just in intellect but in moral stature.
“In the often turbulent world of Ghanaian politics, he was always calm in the storm. A voice of compassion and reconciliation. Even in the face of provocation, he responded not with anger, but with grace. Even when confronted with betrayal or disappointment, he remained steadfast in upholding his principles.”
President John Dramani Mahama
A Servant of the People
For President Mahama, the late President Mills never allowed power to change who he was and remained until his last breath a servant of the people, a man of peace, a man of God, and a man of Ghana.
Reflecting on his time as Mills’ Vice President, President Mahama said he witnessed these values every day. “He was not loud. He was not flamboyant. He believed that leadership should be lived and not performed.”
He praised Mills for placing truth above expedience, people above politics, and the country above self. These, he said, are the guiding principles that must shape the country’s political future, especially in an era where public confidence in leadership is being tested.
“These are the lessons that continue to resonate, particularly in these times when our politics can be very divisive and disconnected from the hopes of the ordinary Ghanaian.”
President John Dramani Mahama
President Mahama stressed that commemorating Mills must go beyond annual wreath-laying, stressing that it is not enough to lay wreaths at his grave once a year or to sing his praises in death. For him, the most authentic tribute the country can give Professor John Evans Atta Mills is to carry forward the values that he held dear.
He called for a revival of ethical leadership, humility, and accountability in national life to reflect the true principles the late President Mills lived for.
“He believed in justice not just as a legal principle, but as a way of life. He believed that peace was not the absence of conflict, but the presence of fairness and dignity. He believed that the power entrusted to leaders should be used to uplift the weak, protect the vulnerable, and give voice to the voiceless.”
President John Dramani Mahama
President Mahama said the memory of Mills must inspire a higher standard of public service. “In a world that is increasingly impatient, increasingly loud, and sometimes careless with truth, President Mills’s life reminds us of the power of stillness, strength in gentleness, and the enduring force of quiet conviction.”
Reset Agenda
Turning to the challenges facing the country, the President acknowledged the hardship Ghanaians continue to endure. “We inherited an economy in deep distress. We face social divisions that threaten our cohesion and a growing weariness among our people,” he said.
For him, if there’s one lesson the country can draw from the life of late President Mills is to acknowledge that no challenge is insurmountable—when leaders lead with integrity, listen with empathy, and govern with principle.
He affirmed that his administration’s Reset Agenda is anchored on the foundation laid by late President Mills’ Better Ghana Agenda, which emphasised inclusive development, discipline, and social justice.
“Asomdwee Park is not just a final resting place. It is a national symbol, a living reminder of what our politics can be and must become. It calls on us to be kinder and more accountable.
“And to remember that in the end, leadership is about legacy—not statues or slogans, but in the lives of the people that we touch and the examples that we leave behind”.
President John Dramani Mahama
President Mahama also addressed concerns about the state of the Professor Mills Memorial Library. He assured the public that Hon. Kofi Totobi Quakye and his team were already working to restore the library to its original state. “We can be sure that we will let it achieve the objective for which it was set up.”
In conclusion, he offered a personal and national farewell: “To Professor Mills—our father, our leader, our teacher—I say rest well. You may be gone from our sight, but you are never gone from our hearts. Your work lives on in us, and your legacy will continue to light our path. May the soul of Pastor JEA Mills rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
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