Today, had he been alive, the late former president of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills would have turned 77.
Being the only president to have died in power, the late Number One man, like many other leaders across the world, had several things distinguishing him, or, that made it easy to recollect his tenure.
The famous “ecominy” gaffe by John Evans Atta Mills and his ever-popular, “My brothers and sisters” salutation, can never be overlooked, but, what are the most predominant things that people remember most about the late former president?
Here are a few of them:
Surprise visit to the Tema Port
In 2011, John Evans Atta Mills, in the company of some of his trusted appointees, and the media, showed up at the Tema Port incognito, to confirm for himself the reported rots that were ongoing there.
He was there as a follow-up on the undercover investigations undertaken by Anas Aremeyaw Anas on the corrupt practices there that were depriving the nation of needed revenue.
“I’m really upset and I think that I should let you know. I was waiting for the Anas video to be shown and that confirmed the reports I’ve been having all along. Officers of Customs, you are Ghanaian citizens, you have to help us to build a better Ghana but if this is the kind of behavior, this is the kind of attitude that you have, you are not helping us in any way.
“Indeed, today, I came to express my disgust and my revulsion at the way some of you are helping to erode the benefits that we are making or we have to give to our people,” he fumed at the officials when he addressed them.
Ecominy gaffe
In his first State of the Nation Address as president in 2009, perhaps the most popular thing that people remember of all that he said that day was his failed attempts at mentioning the word, economy.
Amidst a lot of heckling from the Members of Parliament on the opposition side, the New Patriotic Party, John Evans Atta Mills wrongly pronounced the word, sending the entire House into a hysteric moment.
“Our conomy, our ecominy, our economy is resilient…” he tried to mention the word amidst heightened tensions in Parliament as he addressed the nation
Atta Mills jogs on tarmac
In 2012, the former president left the country on medical grounds, to the United States of America, and returned.
Prior to that, the news was rife that he had died but that turned out false after he arrived back into the country and was met at the airport by some officials of government.
In an attempt, perhaps, to indicate that all was well with him, John Evans Atta Mills jogged for a few seconds as he walked down the red carpet on the tarmac.
Also, as part of the Atta Mills Institute’s way of marking this 77th birthday, a donation was made to the Yaw Owusu Ansah Disabilities Foundation.
