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Opinions of Friday, 26 July 2019

Columnist: Kwaku Badu

Keeping faith with the dead: Why I salute Koku Anyidoho

Former NDC Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho Former NDC Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho

I always knew deep down in my heart that the erstwhile Deputy General Secretary of NDC and the Communication Director under the late Mills administration, Koku Anyidoho, has unbridled devoted attachment to the late President Mills, but my belief increased exponentially upon Koku aptly conceiving and establishing an institute in memory of Mills.

Indeed, Koku Anyidoho has kept faith with the late Mills and it is a testament to his unfailing love and admiration for the late Professor.

Prior to Koku Anyidoho’s altruistic and conscious decision to establish the Atta Mills Institute, the consensus amongst the vast majority of observers was that the late President Mills has been neglected by Ghanaians, including his own (the Umbrella fraternity).

If you may recall, in recent times, some family members of the late Mills have been bemoaning the appalling state of the late President Mills’s Mausoleum, popularly known as Asomdwee Park.

Some of us, as a matter of honour, were extremely downhearted upon reading that the tomb of the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills has been in a deplorable state for years.

A couple of years ago, Citi News reported that the well-crafted metallic cover of the tomb had developed grim cracks, apparently detaching itself from the rest of the artefact.

The report further revealed that portions of the tomb were also falling apart, and managers of the park had had to support it with blocks.

In fact, it is with deep sadness to state that the late Mills has been disappointed by some individuals (especially the Mahama government), and the people who claim to love him so much.

If we stroll down memory lane, the late President Mills contested the presidency on three consecutive elections on the ticket of the NDC before clasping the ultimate power in the 2008 second-round election.

Despite the fierce resistance from the echelon of the NDC, the unwearied President Mills stood his ground and selected John Dramani Mahama as his running mate for 2008 election.

Suffice it to stress that the late President Mills did his utmost best until his sudden and inexplicable death on 24th July 2012.

Of course, the late Mills was not without infelicities. He had excellences and imperfections. Nonetheless, his light shone among the voracious NDC apparatchiks.

Apparently, the late Mills was not on the side of corruption, and as a result, he earned himself more enemies than friends in the NDC.

It is, however, on record that prior to the scandalous Wayome’s judgement debt payment, the late Mills warned the ‘create, loot and share’ cabals not to effect payment, and yet the conspiratorial plotters defied the good old Mills orders and doled out the staggering amount to Wayome, who had no contract with the government of Ghana.

It would, therefore, appear that there was a bad blood between the late Mills and some of the NDC officials.

For if that was not the case, how on earth would NDC government leave the tomb of one of their own in such an abhorrent state?

The alleged enmity between the late Mills and the echelon of the party may explain why they even obtrusively failed to recognise his achievements in their much publicised green book.

Gratifyingly, however, it took the Akufo-Addo’s government, barely a few months in office, to begin refurbishment works on the late Mills' decrepit tomb.

Shamefully though, the Mahama government was in power for more than four years following the demise and burial of the late President Mills and could not bother to take care of our former president’s tomb.

It was reported a couple of years ago that following Citi FM's report on the deteriorating state of the tomb of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, the NPP Government commenced some repair work on the tomb at Asomdwee Park.

Koku Anyidoho had this to say: “I can confirm on authority that I have been there and I must say that we are pleased with the quick response of government. We saw workers on site.

“The tombstone was being worked on. It also looks like the lawn itself is being manicured”, said Koku Anyidoho (modernghana.com, 01/03/2017).

Well, it would appear that the NDC apparatchiks are ungrateful towards the men and women who have worked strenuously to put the party on the map.

It appears that some NDC apparatchiks are ungrateful. Take, for example, the party General Secretary, Asiedu Nketia, once called Rawlings a barking dog, who is too old and fragile to contribute meaningfully to the cause of the party he (Rawlings) founded and autographed with his blood.

Moreover, the NDC’s boisterous brats (the babies with sharp teeth) who are not privy to their party’s history have been scolding former President Rawlings all the time for expressing his grievances over the rot in his party.

NDC apparatchiks: get a grip and put your acts together because your actions and inactions do not speak well of you.

That said, the ghost of the late Mills will take solace in the fact that his true comrade, Koku Anyidoho, has stood by him through thick and thin.

More power to your elbow trusted comrade Koku Anyidoho; the ghost of the late Mills is indeed proud of you.