President Mills’ Death - Troubling Matters

So it’s been a week since the old man kicked the bucket. Messages of goodwill, solidarity, condolences have been pouring in from all over. Today I am in full mourning clothes to mark the 7^th day after the passing of Asomdwehene (the king of peace) as he was nicknamed. The 7^th day celebration of a person’s passing is an important event in many parts of Ghana and the president’s lineage is no different.

It struck me that the presidency of Professor Mills was always surrounded by many questions; not only in terms of doubts or uncertainties but also just straight questions about just what’s going on with one thing or the other.

So there were many questions: will the former charismatic leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) be in control? Is Mills sick or not? Did Mills know about the gargantuan money payment? Did the president sack the government official? Who is president of Ghana and who is in charge of affairs?

Answers to these questions were not easily available although I must be quick to say that to the last question the late president provided an answer so quick and direct, it disarmed everyone.

In the wake of the president’s death the questions linger on;

Who will be the vice president and running mate for president Mahama was one of the first ones? Hopefully the matter will be settled today as it seems president Mahama may be submitting his nomination to parliament today. Everyone is waiting, too anxiously I should say. I don’t know what difference that would make now but I hope it will not be that person I don’t want.

Where will he be buried? Indigents of the late president’s hometown are insisting they want the son of their land returned to be buried in Ekumfi Otuam from where he hails. Government officials had earlier and on different occasions announced or suggested the seat of government, Flagstaff House and the Nkrumah mausoleum. Later, a representative of the late president’s family insisted that the burial would be in Accra, not his hometown! A well known lawyer, chief and “traditionalist” argued it’s the family’s preserve to decide the burial place. The government is in close consultations with the family but there are two sides to the family issue and the Ekumfi Otuam side is unhappy. So where will the late president be buried? We wait on the funeral committee that’s been set up.

The call of the late president’s people carried with it another question that has been on the minds of many. What (or who) killed the president? Even though it’s general knowledge that the late president was managing a cancer and probably a few other complications, there is yet to be known the details of an autopsy, if there is to be one that is. The cry of the people of Otuam when they insisted, in their grief that the body of the president be brought home was that; first they wanted to see for themselves if he was dead, really. That’s easy the good Professor would have given them a call already if he was not. Second, they want to know if he died a natural death or there was a “hand” in his death.  The constant unpleasant remarks directed at the late president have been pointed to as having a possible “hand” in his death. In the meantime, I heard this morning someone intimating that actually the late president “got the cancer when he became president”. Mmm read more here.
 

A related question of how many funerals should be held popped up not quite 2 days ago. A group has suggested that all regions in Ghana hold simultaneous funerals for the late president. This surprised me but I know death has a way with my people. How many funerals? Like how many bodies do we have? Not sure, not sure at all.

   

Now what can be said about the dead and indeed about our president? Mr. Rawlings the former president; the challenging, exciting and often times mildly embarrassing subject in our politics provides a clue with what we would rather not hear. First he goes to say the “unwise” thing then as if to backtrack on his apology to the late president’s family subsequently, he writes the “spoilt brat’s” thing.  Mr. Rawlings seemed to be in deep thought as he sat to write his thoughts in the book of condolences, I have no doubt the outcome is a reflection of the highest consideration of things he has to say and must say!

Mr. Rawlings signing the book of condolences

Here are his first words on the death:

[“It was quite a shock to both me and my wife but IT WAS NOT UNEXPECDTED BECAUSE HE’S BEEN BATTLING WITH CANCER FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, you know, but this is certainly the wrong time for him to go considering that WE HAVE ELECTIONS, you know, AROUND THE CORNER IN DECEMBER.  ....quite frankly I think HAD HE BEEN ADVISED AND DONE SOMETHING WISER, YOU KNOW, EARLIER ON, HE COULD PROBABLY HAVE SURVIVED, YOU KNOW, FOR, I DON’T KNOW, FOR ANOTHER SIX – SEVEN MONTH YES, ]

Mr. Rawlings’ words and that of a few other close confidants of the late president have also got others thinking; would/ could the president have lived a few more months, perhaps till after the elections, if .....? I guess there were some who were betting on that, if only for a politically tidier end. But I will never know will I?