NEWS COMMENTARY ON REFLECTIONS ON PRESIDENT MILLS’ LAST JOURNEY

Lying gorgeously even in death at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra are the mortal remains of our President who passed on into eternity on Tuesday 24th of July 2012. The atmosphere at the funeral is sombre yet uniquely Ghanaian. A look at the quintessence Ghanaian culture being displayed at the funeral makes the Ghanaian proud to be a son or daughter of this great land. There is a lot of grief. There is a lot of pain. Tears are flowing uncontrollably at the Banquet Hall, as the late President is being eulogised. Yes, it is right and fitting to do so. After all, President Mills was the President of the Republic of Ghana.

The outpouring of emotions from Ghanaians without partisanship is a testimony that Ghanaians, as has been repeatedly said, are united in grief. But that is not all. The smooth and peaceful constitutional transition within the past two weeks has not only earned Ghana a pride of place in the comity of nations but is an unwritten tribute to President Mills who was widely acknowledged to be a man of peace. He must be a happy person even in death. In these final hours of the President’s funeral, it is proper that we pay special tribute to the nationalism and unity being displayed by Ghanaians. The display of national colours instills in all of us an emotional sense of a people bound by a common identity and destiny. We should continue to portray such oneness even as a lot of foreign dignitaries are here to commiserate with us and pay their last respects to our late President.

Ghanaians should also applaud the work of the Funeral Organising Committee for putting together such an elaborate programme within a relatively short period of time to give a befitting burial to our late President. The President’s family also deserves special commendation for cooperating with the Funeral Organising Committee for a smooth ceremony. We cannot leave out Parliament for executing the smooth transition that has ensured an effective succession plan in our national affairs. Our elders have said that when someone performs well at a task he should be applauded. Congratulations, Honourable men and women. Soon our late President will be laid to rest at the newly designated Geese Park. That should not be the end of our show of nationalism and unity. We have another important assignment to collectively execute on 7th December this year. The greatest and most enduring tribute that we, as a nation, can pay to our departed President is to conduct the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in an atmosphere of peace devoid of rancour and bitterness.

We have shown in the past two weeks that when it matters most, the Ghanaian is capable of loving Ghana more than our individual selves. We cannot afford to sacrifice the international respect we have earned on the altar of unnecessary partisanship before, during and after the Elections. The politics of insults and vilification must stop. Let us conduct our political campaigns with civility and decorum. We are capable of achieving that great feat for ourselves and generations yet unborn. Fare Thee Well President John Evans Atta Mills. Long Live Ghana! Long Live our Democracy. May God Bless us all!

BY: JOSEPH C. GARBRAH, FORMER STUDENT OF PRESIDENT MILLS AND HUMAN RESOURCE & ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, GHANA RUBBER ESTATES LIMITED, TAKORADI.
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