25/07/2025
President Mahama Pays Tribute to Late President Atta Mills, Calls for Renewal of Ethical Leadership
President John Dramani Mahama has issued a deeply moving tribute in remembrance of the late President Professor John Evans Atta Mills, marking the 13th anniversary of his passing on July 24, 2012.
In his statement, President Mahama reflected on the enduring sense of loss felt by many Ghanaians, describing it as “a testament to Mills’ profound impact on our nation and our hearts.” He emphasized that the annual observance of Mills’ passing should not merely be ceremonial, but a “national duty” to uphold the values he stood for, humility, integrity, discipline, and above all, peace.
Describing Prof. Mills as “a rare breed of leader,” Mahama praised his calm demeanor amidst political turbulence, his refusal to engage in insults or vengeance, and his unwavering commitment to service and reconciliation. “He remained, until his final breath, a servant of the people, a man of peace, a man of God, and a man of Ghana,” Mahama wrote.
Drawing on personal experience as Mills’ Vice President, Mahama recounted witnessing the late leader’s principled leadership firsthand, his compassion for the vulnerable, his quiet strength, and his belief that leadership should be lived, not performed.
Mahama urged Ghanaians to honor Mills’ legacy not just with wreaths and songs, but by recommitting to the values he championed. “The greatest tribute we can give Professor Mills is to carry forward his values, reviving the spirit of ethical leadership, justice, and accountability that he embodied.”
He concluded with a message to the Mills family and to the nation: “Let us recommit to building the united, value-driven, and peaceful Ghana he envisioned.
And to Professor Mills: our father, our leader, our teacher, rest well.
You are gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.”