TODAY, Africa and the world will pay a befitting farewell to a Black Star, a man of honour who has been receiving accolades since his death and sudden exit from the political stage on July 24. President John Atta Mills will be honoured with a state funeral service and burial today in Accra, Ghana to climax three days of rites. His death at 68 years is a big loss to the country, the continent and the global democratic community; it marks the end of a significant era in Ghanaian politics.A torrent of tributes had trailed a leader whose official and private conduct had been adjudged exemplary in a continent challenged by poverty of leadership. United States of America's President Barack Obama may have captured it all for the world in his view that Prof. Mills was a man who made Ghana 'a good news story'.There are important lessons to learn from Mills' life and times, especially for fellow African leaders. In the midst of the mourning, Ghana must move on in the outstanding leadership footprints of a democrat who did his best to push for national excellence.The government and people of Ghana should be consoled that though they lost a statesman who succumbed to a medical condition, Mills brought stability to the country during his tenure. He was preparing to lead his party, the National Democratic Congress to another election in December. His battle with illness showed him as a dogged fighter who never allowed his affliction to override his will to serve.Atta Mills' fighting spirit manifested in his relentless bid for the country's leadership status (as vice president) on three occasions before he made it at the third attempt, as he had lost twice in 2000 and 2004 to the same opposition in former president John Kuffour of the NPP. He was a man of destiny.Mills showed good character and stature in his management of post-poll victory, avoiding bitterness or vindictiveness against political opponents after a long-drawn battle, despite the country's ethnic cleavages that could have been a source of discord among the people.In Atta Mills, a leader-servant had emerged at a significant period in Ghana's political and economic history. Today, Ghanaians are better for it, and the entire world acknowledges it. He risked being tagged by critics as a stooge of former President John Jerry Rawlings under whom he served as vice-president. He nevertheless remained selfless in approach to state duties, and did not use power to oppress or to run the nation aground. He has been aptly described as a careful driver, too cautious to take foolish risks.His credentials as a democrat and quintessential leader bear him out even in death. The consensus is that Mills was humble both in and out of power; there was no showing off as Ghana's number one citizen.Mills was a teacher both in the classroom and in life (the latter particularly on account of his transparent leadership). He was one of the few exemplary African leaders with a mission to redefine politics in the continent, a new face of the emerging progressive leaders. Prof. Atta Mills had a progressive policy and thinking. Building on his predecessor's strides, he ensured that Ghana was firmly on the track of a revolution in development in the sub-region.An associate professor of Law at the University of Ghana, Mills was appointed Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service for about three years till 1996. On January 7, 1997, he became the vice president under President Rawlings. His solid education as a scholarship student at Achimota, the University of Ghana, London School of Economics and University of London facilitated his academic and political exploits. He was also a Fulbright Scholar.Mills was among the men who gave Ghana the peace it enjoys today. Ghanaians also on their part deserve kudos for their push for democracy. A country of just over 24 million people is a beacon of light and hope for bigger nations in the continent. If Ghana is so matured in democracy, bigger African countries with which it had a common history since independence had no excuse for lagging behind.A greater lesson in Atta Mills' passage is the seamless transition in power to his then vice-president, John Mahama, the new helmsman. This contrasts sharply with the intrigues that enveloped many countries, including Nigeria, upon the death of an incumbent president in office.The greatest tribute to the memory of Mills is that his compatriots and the new leadership keep Ghana united and peaceful in the course of its growth and development.
Click here to read full news..
