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The memorial service to celebrate the late President Prof John Evans Atta Mills at the Asomdwee Park in Accra was marred by disagreement on Wednesday, July 24.
The confusion started after the dismissed deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Koku Anyidoho overran his scheduled time, delaying the second NDC event at the venue to mark 12 years since President Mills’ passing.
Two wreath-laying ceremonies were scheduled to take place today, Wednesday, July 24, in commemoration of the passing of the late former President who died at 37 Military Hospital in 2012.
The first event, organised by Mr Anyidoho, ran over its scheduled time, delaying the second event organised by the NDC and the JEA Mills Memorial Heritage.
According to the late President’s brother, Samuel Atta-Mills, Koku Anyidoho bused in individuals he labelled as fake family members and instructed them to stay put, preventing the NDC from starting its programme on time.
“You’re not related to this man and anybody could come here and celebrate him. He [Atta Mills] is for the country so why would you want to clash with us? And as a coward as he is, he ran away and left the people here – the fake family over here.
“… We didn’t intimidate anybody but when persuasion fails, force is applied. Indeed, we are at Asomdwee Park but when we talk to you and you don’t understand, sometimes a little bit of encouragement will make you move,” he explained.
Mr Atta-Mills, who doubles as the MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem constituency in the Central Region alleged that Mr Anyidoho is being supported by ‘powerful individuals’
“When they advise you and you don’t listen, this is what happens. But Koku should know that he’s hiding behind a political power. Every political power in this world has an expiration date. A day will come that the political power he is hiding behind will expire,” he stated.
Addressing the incident, the sister of former President Atta Mills, Mercy Araba Ahema Quarshie, described it as ugly and disgusting.
She insisted that the persons at the earlier ceremony were not their relatives.
