Atta Mills' Regime: A religious legacy of peace

Political regimes do end with a trafficking mistrust, which on numerous occasions are attributed to the country’s first image, the President.

Every President on this globe has always been censured for almost any decision he takes concerning the state he presides over, supposing it appeared misleading.

After ruling for over a decade and more, some Presidents earned the titles of corruption, incompetency, or amazing squanderers whose actions did wean the public purse.

A leader with religion and humanity at heart, and economically good would be the one to paddle the country of Ghana to its intended destination, is that not rightly so? However, it’s somehow sad that history wants to get itself replete of such anti-climaxes in Ghana's political annals, why? Anytime we're gifted with a God-fearing President, then the ‘inevitable’ strips him off from our hands. And (24th of July) would not stop eventuating this bizarre agony.

Recently, the lamentations hurled at administering an opaque politics would force you to reminisce Ghana's most affable late President, Prof. John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills’ transition to God, barely eight (8) years ago. Well, today is singled out as a day of commiseration with his family, and to conscientize ourselves as discerning citizens.

More importantly, I am not a political witch hunter, thus my aim isn't to begrudge any political proponent with this piece. Its focus is to highlight, in the paradigm of religious affair. Therefore kindly eschew from perusing it with an ad-hominem nerve.

The scriptures had foretold that leaders are God's mouthpieces on earth after prophethood was sealed. The late President's regime had experienced an acute one term in office, but he served mother Ghana with irreplaceably fundamental teachings from the scriptures. As a result of that, he had left spots which have appeared on the body of some but had remained in the hearts of those who ponder. So let's read from below some of the nuggets of the late President.

The Marshall of Economics: His savvy in economics and taxation were not limited to enriching himself and his family only, but after having thought a myriad of students the pretty things he had acquired, he did avail his human resourcefulness for the betterment of the economy. His engagement with mankind actually exaggerated ‘transparency’ to an extent that not only those who surrounded him had a feel of it. This could be well related in the pragmatic economic approaches he put in place within matters of the economy.

The cedi is obviously contesting the dollar in a snail-pace faction. Meanwhile, the dollar is spreading its figures like coronavirus. This, at his time, the cedi was brought to shoulder level with the dollar. In effect, an atmosphere of serenity was the make-up on the faces of Ghanaians who hardly show a cheerful smile anytime they had to transact business continentally. Supposing you didn’t have an opportunity to shake hands with him (Atta Mills), his decision then deconstructed frustration and gave birth to peace and pleasures in the world of petty traders and businessmen and women.

Humanitarian and Social interventionist: The security services of the economy (Ghana Police Service, Armed Forces, Fire Services, Immigration Services, Prisons and Ghana Revenue Authority), in the course of strenuous work, they are simultaneously denied of family togetherness. Yet, they put their only precious life at stake for you and me to have a warm sleep. Some of them did die in the course of duty, while others get disabled for safeguarding mother Ghana.

The wise generation then got a maxim that perhaps, ‘when you're recruited for Ghana Armed forces, Ghana is gambling with your life’. It was the peaceful man with the meekness of heart who understood the missing link of these untapped warriors. So he implemented the single spine payment module.

Its essence, contemporarily, is the influx of Ghanaians in the security services. Years ago, citizens were begged to join the service, but now they’ve developed the passion to serve mother Ghana in its various security fraternities. The spirit of contributing their quota to national development through the security services has experienced real hike aftermath of the single spine compensation escaped captivity. Islam teaches us that a worker must be paid before his sweat dries.

More so, he understood how sports could be used in rechanneling of the youthful exuberance of young Ghanaians. People who, had it not been sports, street life and irresponsibility would have riddled them, allowing the economy to be bereft of their credentials were reinvigorated.

More precisely, after he had re-erected the edifice of Ghana National Hockey Pitch. He being a Sportsperson, well versed in the administration of football, a skilful hockey player and, his affinity to athletics, he knew the impact sports could make. When you stroll to the hockey pitch you will find great minds and young men and women who've taken the hockey pitch as a second home.

Talk of Johnny Botsio who nearly lost track of his life to hawking. Today, through Atta Mills’ social intervention he's marketing the good name of Ghana all over Europe. And his crony, Alfred Ntiamoah, an alumnus of University of Ghana, now working for Ghana Police.

The same could be said of Shadrach Baah who holds MBAs in International Business, a hockey player for HCU Catania, Italy. Elikem Akaba (MBAs) and Nsalbini Salya (Ghana Navy) both had once played for a Belgium side. Without this edifice, they could have been added to the list of talents gone to waste or, been actively involved in other social vices. He’s a humanitarian because, his numerous interventions could be measured in the life of avalanches of successful sports administrators, men and women, and the academicians Ghana have.

At his saddest moment, whenever foreign 'Lords' imposed on him to legalize the traditional despicable and heinous act — homosexuality, he used peace decorated with a clad of common sense to do the talking. You could fathom this in how he turned down the offer by saying prudently — that the "United Kingdom could not impose its values on Ghana, and I would never legalize homosexuality." Prior to elections, he was then slammed with virulent attacks from the opposition during the campaign season, but impertinence had never crippled him to be ballistic. I remember vividly him saying "I do not want to hasten into act."

I would want us to maintain why I termed his legacy as Peace. In truth, as the date of his death keeps recurring every year, the bereaved family would always be engulfed in distress and desperation, looking disfigured, and feeling robbed by the angel of death. They should not be; God is with them.

The first time the word of politics came to mind, it has not been convincing until the advent of the late President Atta Mills’regime and, the departed freedom fighters.

The obvious books have admonished us that whatever title you die with it would or could bear witness of you on the day of judgement. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported to have said that “one would be resurrected together in the company of people he affiliated himself with.” The late President was known as a 'Peaceful' man, if I may ask: who were the peaceful dwellers on this earth? That's the Prophets. Let us rather rejoice anytime the passage of time reminds us of his sad demise.

It's inarguable that Ghanaians are penchant in praising the dead than the living, but this jinx was unshackled while the Late President was alive and after his death. He earned the title ‘’Asomdwee Hene’’ (The King of Peace). Biblically, king of Peace is one of the attributes of Melchizedek, the King of Salem and the Priest of El-Elyon who has no ending and beginning, reported in Hebrews 7:1-5. Also, ‘peace’ stands for the religion of Islam, it happens to be among the 99 names (As-Salam) of Allah.

The late President, Prof. J.E.F.A. Mills’ political life in this world is a quintessential trait of the two famous religions of Ghana, Islam and Christianity.

Undoubtedly, if Prof. Atta Mills, who being a taxation Jargon, gives out the statistics regarding how he had helped in reducing drastically the inflation rate of Ghana, people would have ranted, as depicted in the year 2011. That said, after his demise, all Ghanaians unanimously have agreed that his relationship with other fellow human beings had been nothing but peaceful in the political sphere, economic stretch, social wing and common sense approach, all you have to allude to is that the late President, Prof. J.E.F.A. Mills epitomises Peace. His attitude had left me enviable; I wish I could covet this accolade whenever his name resurfaced because, the word peace has become inextricable from his name.

In the political realm, we may be thinking that his legacy has been the free flow of goods, services and capital, or a lean government, or austerity, but I say to you that it was a magnificent reincarnated attribute of God which bred from the central region, Ekumfi Otuam, indeed for Ghana to rejoice in peace forever.

Should we dare to mimic the late President Atta Mills’ strategy of peace, there would not be any public official who would transmogrify Ghana into a milking cow. In the same vein, if Atta Mills’ ideal of peace is granted to the ordinarily Ghanaian, he will not grow up yearning to become a liability to the country, as it is demonstrated in the spate of armed robbery and hooliganism nowadays.

Thus, the Bible (Matthew 9:5) is an absolute right, in the beatitudes, when it says that “blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” It is my fervent prayer that, as all of us have agreed that he's a peaceful man, may the Almighty honour His promise in making him His child, for He never fails in keeping his vow.

Our ancestral sage reminds us that ‘when a man dies his tongue doesn't get rotten’.

Peace.

Rest well "Asomdwe Hene".