World leaders pay tribute to Ghanaian leader

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan was among the world leaders that paid tribute Tuesday to the former Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, who died suddenly today. America’s leader, Barack Obama and United Nations secretary-general were other notable voices.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said he received with shock and immense sadness news of the sudden death of President John Atta Mills of Ghana.

In a statement issued on his behalf by his spokesperson, Reuben Abati President Jonathan assured the people of Ghana of the sympathy and solidarity of the people of Nigeria as they mourn late President Mills who did his best during his tenure to carry forward the process of democratic consolidation and socio-economic development in Ghana.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon praised the “statesmanship” of John Atta Mills.

Ban said he was “saddened” by the announcement of Mills’ death and offered “heartfelt condolences”, said a statement released by his spokesman Martin Nesirky.

“President Mills will be remembered for his statesmanship and years of dedicated service to his country,” the UN leader added in the statement in which he offered UN assistance to Ghana “in support of their efforts to consolidate the country’s democratic and development achievements.”

US President Barack Obama hailed Mills as a “strong advocate” for human rights and a tireless champion of his people.

“It was with great regret that I learned of the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana,” Obama said, in a White House statement.

“I will always remember my trip to Ghana in 2009, and the hospitality that President Mills and the people of Ghana showed to me, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and our entire delegation,” he said, also recalling Mills’ US visit this year.

“President Mills tirelessly worked to improve the lives of the Ghanaian people. He helped promote economic growth in Ghana in the midst of challenging global circumstances and strengthened Ghana’s strong tradition of democracy.”

Obama also praised Mills as a “strong advocate for human rights and for the fair treatment of all Ghanaians,” as he offered his condolences to the people of Ghana on behalf of all Americans.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said on Twitter: “Saddened by the death of President John Atta Mills. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and the great people of Ghana.”

Mills died in a hospital in the capital Accra while receiving treatment, his office said. While the cause was not specified, he had recently shown signs of illness, including recently losing his voice and a gradual loss of weight.

The late president had recently travelled to the United States for what had been described as a routine medical checkup.

There were unconfirmed reports in local media that he had throat cancer, while false rumours of his death had also previously spread.

Presidential elections are set for December in a country seen as a rare example of stable democracy in west Africa and which recently joined the ranks of the world’s large-scale oil producers.

Mills was to be the ruling party’s candidate after fending off an unprecedented challenge for the nomination.

The capital Accra was sombre, with activity slowing and residents gathering in the streets to discuss the news.

Emmanuel Bombande, executive director of the the Accra-based West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, said “people have a lot of faith in the Ghananian constitution”, adding that he trusted the transition would be an orderly one.

“It was a total surprise, although ordinary people knew that the president had not been 100-percent well,” he said, mentioning his recent trip to the United States. Bombande called Mills “a man of integrity”.

Pindana Mohammed, a market trader in the capital, said he was shocked by the news when he heard it on the radio.

“I am not a supporter of the ruling government, but I respect so much the president because of the way he carried himself,” he said.

Mills took over as Ghana’s president in January 2009.

He narrowly won the vote in 2008 with a less than one percent margin against a candidate from the party of incumbent John Kufuor, widely respected for having bowed out following his two terms in office.

In July last year, Mills was nominated to be the ruling National Democratic Congress party’s presidential candidate for December 2012 elections.

The primary represented the first time in the country’s history that a sitting president competed for his own party’s nomination.

Mills beat his only rival in the party primary, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the wife of ex-military leader Jerry Rawlings.

He rose to prominence in 1997 when Rawlings named him vice president — a position he held until the former coup leader-turned-elected president made way for Kufuor after the 2000 elections.

After finishing his law studies in Britain, Mills came home to teach law for 25 years at a Ghana university.

Ghana, a country of some 25 million people, recently joined the ranks of the world’s large-scale oil producers.

The country has begun producing oil from its offshore Jubilee field, one of the largest discoveries in West Africa in recent years. The field’s operator Tullow has estimated that the field’s recoverable resources amount to up to one billion barrels.