President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has clarified that the rehabilitation and commissioning of Asomdwoe Park was not aimed at creating any division between the political party of the late president.
He says “those alleged divisions are not of my making, and do not, in any way, inure to my benefit.”
10 years after the passing on of Ghana’s sitting president, Prof. John Evans Fiifi Attah Mills, the Asomdwoe Park where his remains were kept eternally was redeveloped and commissioned.
The redevelopment according to President Akufo-Addo was as a result of a request made by then Communications Director to President Mills, Koku Anyidoho, who runs the institute named after the former President.
Missiles of words have been pelted between brother of the late Asomdwoehene’s (King of Peace) family, some members of the NDC and Mr. Anyidoho, creating the impression that the redevelopment and commissioning was meant to create a discord between the political party of the late president.
Others have raised concerns of desecration of the tomb of the late former president which Mr. Akufo-Addo has described as “false and malicious.”
But in his speech at the Asomdwoe Park Sunday, July 24, 2022, President Akufo-Addo noted he carried on with the initiative after the poor state of the edifice was brought to his attention for renovation but not to create any division within the party.
“Sometime after becoming President, I became aware of the sad state of Asomdwoe Park, and, in 2020, I received a request from the late President’s energetic Communications Director, Koku Anyidoho, who runs the Institute named after the President, for the assistance of Government to rehabilitate the facility. I agreed, and, subsequently, I instructed the Coastal Development Authority to undertake a thorough rehabilitation of the Park, with the close co-operation of the Institute.
“It was not right that the Park had been allowed to deteriorate considerably over the years since his burial in 2012, and I am happy that it was under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, allegedly his “fiercest critic”, that Asomdwoe Park has been elevated to a status befitting the final resting place of a President of the Republic of Ghana. I did so with that objective solely in mind, and not to exploit or take advantage of any so-called divisions in the political party to which he belonged. Those alleged divisions are not of my making, and do not, in any way, inure to my benefit,” the President has said.
Leadership of the National Democratic Congress led by its Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and former President, John Dramani Mahama who refused to attend the event held by President Akufo–Addo and the Atta Mills Institute.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cadman Mills, brother of late President Mills who is the newly installed head of the Nkuma Kyereba Twidan family in Cape Coast, had asked president Akufo-Addo and Ghanaians to boycott the event in honour of late Prof. Mills for the failure of the organisers of the anniversary to invite any family member.
This was after the family had indicated their withdrawal from events at the programme.
The failure to invite the family for the occasion according to Dr. Cadman Mills “is an insult to the family, I think it’s unacceptable, I think it’s shameful. Maybe they invited, the so-called family in Otuam. Me I don’t know but as far as Atta Mill’s proper family is concerned, nobody has been invited.”
Dr. Cadman Mills spoke with Onua News’ Kwame Kakraba, the Central Regional correspondent.
Source: Felix Anim-Appau||Onuaonline