Mills Died Before 37 Hospital Arrival

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Created on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

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Mills Died Before 37 Hospital Arrival

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The New Statesman can reveal that Ghana’s former President, John Evans Atta-Mills, did not die at the 37 Military Hospital as Ghanaians were made to believe by President John Dramani Mahama.

Our reliable sources indicate the post-mortem result on the late president shows he died before arrival at the hospital. Also unconfirmed reports indicate the body of the late president was flown into the country in the night of yesterday from South Africa where it underwent preservation, expected to keep if for about 100 years.

It is recalled that in his inaugural address as leader of the nation, President John Mahama stated emphatically that President Mills died at the 37 Military hospital at 2:15pm after a short illness.

However, information available to the New Statesman, quoting post mortem results carried out at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital reveals that the former President died of “metastatic throat cancer spread to sinuses, eyes and throat.”

According to the report, the tumour eroded President Mills’ carotid artery, which is a very major blood vessel. The report implies that the late President, as a result of the eroding of the artery, may have choked on his own blood because there was no one to handle him properly.

The circumstances of President Mills’s death suggest negligence on the part of his medical handlers. And, this may call for a wider public enquiry to show whether or not better care could have saved him.

For instance, none of his medical team was around when he needed them most and his body was taken to the hospital without even a nurse around him.

{sidebar id=12 align=right}The New Statesman is also reliably informed that on his last visit to New York for treatment, the doctors there insisted he be detained for at least two months or risk dying if he returned home. We are still investigating why that advice was ignored.

What is obvious is that treatment of cancer, particularly malignant kind, requires a strict adherence to a regimental treatment. But, the president's official schedules, and particularly, the strange decision by the Castle to hide the truth about his ill health made it practically impossible for him to freely subject himself to the necessary treatment.

The results of the post-mortem is also a contradiction to claims made by functionaries of the NDC administration, particularly Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who said President Mills did not die of cancer.

Former President Rawlings, who worked with Professor Mills as his Vice President in 1996, said, after the death of President Mills that “considering that the cancer affected both his eye and his ear, he couldn’t sustain more than three hours per day.”

Checks conducted by the New Statesman show that “patients with metastatic cancer of the throat have cancer that has spread to distant sites beyond the throat and neck region.” Treatment of this type of cancer may consist of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, biological therapy, or a combination of these treatment techniques.

Multi-modality treatment, which is treatment using two or more techniques, is increasingly recognized as an important approach for increasing a patient’s chance of cure or prolonging survival.

Source: thestatesmanonline.com

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Calls for accountability over Mills' funeral expenditure are premature – IDEG

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Created on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

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Calls for accountability over Mills' funeral expenditure are premature – IDEG

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The Institute for Democratic Governance has described as premature, calls for accountability of funds committed to the organization of late President Mills' funeral.

According to the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, although there is need for transparency and accountability of the President Mills' Funeral Committee, such calls are unfair to members of the committee who he said are already working under intense pressure.

Speaking to Joy FM, Dr. Akwetey said those making the transparency and accountability demands must accept the commitment made by the committee, to render full account, after the funeral rites of the late President.

At a press conference organized by the Funeral Planning Committee, the chairman of the Committee Kofi Totobi Quakyi pledged that the committee would render accounts of whatever funds that would be committed to the funeral.

But Policy Analyst with the Center for National Affairs, Rocky Obeng disagreed with IDEG’s stance saying that, people have the propensity to be extravagant, when given access to unlimited resources.

Rocky Obeng told Joy FM the funeral committee must come up with an estimation of expenditure for the funeral rites. This, he believed, would serve as a parameter within which the committee would be working.

He said the current situation where the committee had been given free hand to operate, could also afford some unscrupulous persons on the committee to dip their hands into the national coffers as well make decisions which might not be financially prudent.

Dr. Akwetey however stated Ghanaians must give the committee the benefit of doubt, adding that this is not the time to be suspicious of one another.

He expressed optimism that the funeral the committee would render accounts of funds allocated for the funeral.

From: Richard Nii Abbey/Myjoyonline.com

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Mills' final journey begins

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Created on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

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Mills' final journey begins

A large number of Ghanaians and foreigners will have the opportunity to pay their last respects to the late President John Evans Atta Mills from Wednesday as the country commences an elaborate three-day state funeral.

He will be laid in state at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.

The President died on Tuesday July 24, 2012.

President John Dramani Mahama will be the first person to file past the casket, after which other dignitaries and the general public will have the opportunity to also file past the mortal remains of President Mills.

Accra, the national capital; Ekumfi Otuam, the hometown of Professor Mills, and Cape Coast, where some of his siblings live, will be the nerve centres of wailing, as Ghanaians pay their last respects to the man whose death has united the nation in grief.

The national capital is already draped in red and black colours, while flags still fly at half mast, and vehicular traffic begin to jam in many places as Accra screeches to a standstill for the funeral of President Mills.

A number roads in the metropolis would be blocked to traffic.

Being the first time such a calamitous event had befallen the nation and given the virtues of tolerance, humility and peace-mindedness he brought to the presidency, the funeral of Professor Mills is expected to be grand, massive and under very tight security.

{sidebar id=10 align=right}According to arrangements announced by the Funeral Planning Committee, the casket containing the body of President Mills would arrive at the Banquet Hall, State House at 8a.m. Wednesday, to be handed over to the family to perform some customary rites.

The casket will then be opened at 11 a.m. for President John Mahama, Vice-President K. B. Amissah-Arthur, the wife, son and family of the late President, state officials, members of the Council of State and representatives of political parties to file past the body.

Other dignitaries to file past the body are former presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor, the Speaker and leadership of Parliament, the Chief Justice and her delegation, Service Commanders and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Subsequently, the general public will have the chance to also view the body from 1 p.m. noon to 7 p.m, after which a night vigil of musical and cultural display will be staged at the fore court of the State House in memory of the late President, ending at midnight to climax the first day of funeral activities.

On the second day, Thursday, August 9, 2012, the state funeral continues with the public viewing of the body from 6 a.m. at the Banquet Hall.

Arrangements have been made for special groups, such as the Ghana Bar Association, the University Teachers Association of Ghana, Old Achimotans Association and Old Hockey Players Association, all of which the late President belonged to, as well as traditional rulers to also file past the body on that day.

According to the Chairman of the Funeral Planning Committee, Mr Kofi Totobi-Quakyi, efforts were also being made to facilitate the movement of persons with disability and other vulnerable groups to also file past the body.

The evening of Thursday is dedicated to the reading of tributes and an all-night prayer service in memory of President Mills, while the cultural displays also continue.

On the final day of the funeral on Friday, August 10, 2012, the body of the late President will be ushered into the hands of God at a church service at the Independence Square where the visiting Heads of State and international dignitaries will be invited to file past the body.

Members of the general public are required to be seated in the stands at the Independence Square by 7:30 a.m. after which they would be closed, while invited guests are required to take their seats by 9 a.m. or remain outside the venue.

After the funeral service, the casket containing the mortal remains of the late President will be driven through some principal streets of Accra.

From the Independence Square, the Presidential Cortege will move left to the traffic light intersection near the Old Parliament House, then go right through the Movenpick Hotel to the African Liberation Circle, then go right again through the State House and International Conference Centre road to the traffic light intersection near the Osu Cemetery and turn right to the Independence Square.

The late President will subsequently be interred at the Peace Park, a piece of land lying in the angle of the Castle Drive and the Marine Drive, near the Castle, Osu.

Mr Totobi-Quakyi told journalists at a media briefing Tuesday that the family of the late President had requested for a private thanksgiving service that would be held in Cape Coast on Sunday.

He said the funeral committee was in consultation with the family to observe the 40th day ceremony of the President’s death at Ekumfi Otuam.

Mr Totobi-Quakyi said the Chief Imam would lead special Muslim prayers for the late President at the Abossey Okai Central Mosque in Accra, adding that the Islamic leader had also requested all mosques across the country to offer similar prayers.

He dismissed media reports that the casket for the late President cost $75,000, in addition to huge sums of money being spent on the funeral, adding that the committee would reveal the cost involved at the end of the funeral.

“In any case, President Mills will turn in his grave if we make a mortal mistake to spend that amount on his casket. He will resurrect the next day”, he said.

From: Daily Graphic

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Prez Mills will be upset if we spend Ghc 30m on his funeral - Totobi Quakyi

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Created on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 00:00

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Prez Mills will be upset if we spend Ghc 30m on his funeral - Totobi Quakyi

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The late president John Atta Mills will squirm in his grave or probably resurrect and tell us his piece of mind, if we spend GH¢30 million on his funeral, Chairman of the Funeral Planning Committee has said.

Mr Kofi Totobi-Quakyi was denying media reports that a whopping GH¢30 million had been budgeted for the late leader's funeral.

There were speculations in the media the casket for the late president alone costs US$75,000.

But the Funeral Planning Committee has dismissed the reports at a press briefing in Accra.

“I have done some research on the internet and never came across any casket that comes close to US$75, 000. In any case President Mills will turn in his grave if we make any attempt to spend that kind of money,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Journalists and other photographers will not be allowed to photograph the body of late President John Atta Mills, the Funeral Planning Committee has said.

Mr Totobi Quakyi said the measure is to prevent photo journalists from disrupting the order of events at the ceremony.

The body of the late president will be laid in state at the forecourt of the State House for the President, the Speaker of Parliament, Parliamentarians and other important dignitaries to file past and pay their last respects.

Wednesday, the general public will also have the opportunity to file past the body before the final funeral service and burial on Friday.

The Funeral Committee says a riser will be erected for journalists and photo journalists to operate from and to restrain them from surging forward and disorganising the event.

Myjoyonline.com's David Andoh, who is at the press conference, reported photo journalists particularly, and journalists generally, are distressed by the development, fearing it will hamper their work in covering the historic event.

Mr Quakyi warned, the security men will be ruthless with anybody who disrespects the limits and boundaries set by their accreditation.

He cautioned that no person or group of persons dressed in any party paraphernalia would be allowed entry into the premises of the funeral.

According to him, persons who wish to do must wear the national colours or risk being denied access to the venues where the funeral events would be taking place.

From: Myjoyonline.com

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