Ghana is mourning the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills, who was succeeded in office late Tuesday by his vice president, John Dramani Mahama.
The president died at the 37 Military Hospital on Tuesday, "while receiving medial attention after being taken ill a few hours earlier," according to a statement released by the presidency.
Mahama, who is 53, was sworn in as the country's fourth president Tuesday evening by Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood during a solemn ceremony in Parliament. He will serve until elections at the end of this year.
The 68-year-old leader's death was termed "sudden and untimely" in the statement signed by presidential chief of staff John Henry Martey Newman. RadioXYZonline reported that the president's death - apparently of acute cardiac arrest - came hours after Parliament was informed that he was leaving on a official trip Nigeria.
Mills recently returned from the United States after undergoing medical treatment in New York. He was reported to be suffering from throat cancer, but his illness was never officially confirmed. He and Mahama assumed their posts 2009 after a narrow electoral victory and is the first Ghanaian president to die while in office.
Last July, Mills won nomination as the ruling National Democratic Congress party's candidate in the presidential contest in December, defeating Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, wife of former military leader and president Jerry Rawlings, under whom Mills served as vice president.
SEE: myAfrica profile: John Evans Atta Mills
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On behave of the Kamara and Forndia Families from Liberia we say sorrow for the incident which is not the will of man rather the way of God the creator.
After steering Ghana to a double digit growth last year in a tough period globally President John Atta Mills who was being treated for throat cancer dies. May his soul rest in peace as he has left a great Legacy, a true African Great! Even though the Global Cancer burden is great and rising, there are ways onhow we can keep it at bay: http://www.drugs.co.ke/blog/infographics-of-cancer-the-global-killer
Ghanaians, Condolences on losing your President and a good son of Africa. Love him or hate him, President John Atta Mills has followed in the tradition of Ghana's illustrious politicians in cementing democracy and democratic practices in Ghana.
In return, Ghana has honoured his memory and its peoples and nation by ensuring an immediate transfer of power as stipulated by the Constitution. I hail you all for this. Long live Ghana!
(I need not even mention the fumbles of a very large and well-endowed but significantly under-achieving country not too far away when in a similar situation ...)
RIP Mr President
He was one of a few Africa's Intellectual leaders, and will be missed so.
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