The people of the Western Region have marked the one-week celebration of the late President John Evans Atta Mills at the Railway Park in Sekondi in the Western Region.

The event started at 1000 hours in the morning with people from all walks of life clad in red and black mourning apparels and red bands around their wrists and necks. They sang dirges and played traditional drums to express their grief and sorrow to the late President.

The solemn ceremony, which was organized by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), attracted the clergy, government officials, heads of department, chiefs, political parties’ representatives, civil society organizations, the Muslim Community and others.

Tributes were read in memory of the late President while some queued to sign the book of condolence despite the intermittent drizzling, which some described as good omen.

At exactly 14:15 hours, Reverend Father Anthony Eshun, of the Saint Theresa Catholic Church at Essikado led the people to observe a minute’s silence in memory of the late President as report said it was the exact time that he died on the Tuesday July 24th at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

Some people took advantage of the event to do brisk business by selling red bands, party paraphernalia and the picture of late President Mills.

The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, said the passing on of the late President should be seen as a unifying factor for the entire citizenry and not to foment trouble.

He debunked rumours that the RCC had directed for collection of money from individuals in support of the funeral rites of the late President and asked any organisation or individual that would like to offer financial support towards that cause to contact the RCC.

There were tributes from the Ghana National Teachers Association (GNAT), Ahamidiyya Muslim Mission, the Forestry Commission, New Patriotic Party (NPP) and other civil society groups.

The late President Mills was the third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, and the first President to have died in office after serving three and-a-half years in his four year term.

Source: GNA

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