Atta Mills consoles family of late Assemblyman

Accra, Nov 22, GNA - The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday, visited the house of the late Assembly Member for the Korle Workon Electoral Area of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr George Quaye Armah, to express his sympathies with family. The MP for the area, Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie Komme, the NDC Constituency Chairman, Mr Daniel Nii Okai and some members of the Prof Atta Mills Campaign Team including Mr Nii Lante Vanderpuige, Director of Operations accompanied the Presidential Candidate who was continuing his "door-to-door" campaign in the Odododiodoo Constituency and the Central Business District of the capital.

Prof Atta Mills described the death of the late George Quaye Armah alias "Guy Jesus" and "Okpolu Kpata" as a "great loss" not only for the family but also for the community since he was the Assembly Member and the NDC.

He asked the family to take heart since Gad had called the late Assembly Member for "A higher service in heaven". The late George Quaye Armah who died about two weeks ago at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness left behind a wife, three children and many siblings including Mr Samuel Armah, Odododiodoo Constituency Organiser of the NDC.

The late George Quaye Armah was educated at the Richard Akwei Memorial School and the West Africa Secondary School in Accra and was the Site Engineer of the Flexicon, a construction firm. From 1992 to 1996, he was the Ward Organiser of the NDC becoming the Constituency Organiser from 1996 to 2004 and an Executive Member of the Party until his death.

According to a family spokesman, funeral and burial services for the late Assembly Member would be held on the seventh and eighth of December this year at Ayalolo in Accra.

Prof Atta Mills who begun his campaign in the area last Thursday started the programme in front of the State Insurance Corporation (SIC) Head Office at Okaishie with a courtesy call at the offices of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service opposite the SIC office before embarking on his "door-to-door" campaign shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with shop and store owners and customers.

The Presidential Candidate and his entourage walked towards the traffic lights at the intersection of the 31st December Market and the SG-SSB Bank and turned right in front of the Regional Station of the Ghana National Fire Service through the Central Business District and again turning right in front of the Makola Market entrance towards the UTC shopping arcade virtually bringing business activities in the area to a halt.

Traders, sellers and buyers struggled to catch a glimpse of the former Vice President and to shake hands with him. Prof Atta Mills and his entourage then turned left on the lane adjacent to the Ghana Commercial Bank building through the Kanatamanto Lane to Ayalolo at Korle Workon.

During mini rallies along the route the people expressed their disappointment with the performance of the New Patriotic Party government since it came to power in 2001. Prof Atta Mills expressed concern about the hardships confronting Ghanaians who could not afford the education and health needs of their children and wards saying "God's time is the best" and urged the electorate to vote for him and the NDC in the 2008 election to "turn around the fortunes" for a better Ghana.

He expressed concern about the hardship facing the people and mentioned the high cost of goods and services especially that of fuel and petroleum products including kerosene and promised that he would create an environment conducive for commercial and trading activities, adding that, "with the NDC in power after the 2008 elections and Atta Mills as President" traders and sellers would have the security to go about their businesses without "harassment".

Mr Tackie Komme described Prof Atta Mills as "A humble and peace loving person with a lot of compassion for people, saying, "A government under Prof Atta Mills will have the 'people' at the centre stage of governance".

He appealed to the electorate to give their mandate to Prof Atta Mills and the NDC for "A human centred and humane policies for the welfare of the people" describing the Presidential candidate as "the best material around now for the office of President". Mr Daniel Nii Okai, urged the people to stand solidly behind the NDC to retain the Ododddiodoo seat and for Prof Atta Mills as President if they wanted peace and development for the country and posterity. He commended the electorate for rallying behind the NDC and urged them to step up their efforts to win more supporters to ensure that the party formed the next government.

Later in the evening Mr Tackie Komme led a delegation of the family of the late Assembly Member and some opinion leaders from the Korle Workon Electoral Area to inform the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the AMA, Mr Adjiri Blankson, of the death of the late George Quaye Armah and arrangements for his funeral and burial. 22 Nov 07