The family of late president, John Evans Atta-Mills, is livid at the decision of the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) to renovate the Asomdwe Park, the final resting place of the former head of state, without the knowledge of the family.
The brother of the late president and Member of Parliament for the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, Samuel Atta-Mills, told journalists in Parliament yesterday that with five days to mark the 10 years anniversary of the passing of the former president, the Authority in connivance with the Atta-Mills Institute, run by a former aide to the late president, Koku Anyidoho, had gone to “break the grave” without recourse to the family.
“They have removed the tomb and claim that they are rebuilding it. Our question is we have tradition. Why would you go and touch somebody’s grave without informing the family?
“Now that you have gone to touch the tomb, is the body still in that grave? What did you put in that grave? What kind of ritual did you perform before touching the grave? Why would you go and touch the grave without informing us? These are the questions we want to ask those who went to tamper with the grave.”
He continued: “Coastal Development Authority, under whose authority did you do this?” he asked.
According to the second term lawmaker, there was a deliberate attempt since the demise of the late president to denigrate his memory and all he stood for.
“Why do you always want us to go through grief to allow someone like Koku Anyidoho, working with Atta Mills Institute, so called, to go and touch this grave without informing our family head? Why would government allow this to happen because this is a former president?”
In the view of a teary Atta-Mills, “this is an insult to the family, an insult to the Akan people and an insult to the nation.”
He revealed that over some time now, government had ceded the management of the Asomdwe Park, originally designated to be the burial place for former heads of state, to a private entity, the Atta-Mills Institute.
“Atta-Mills is not the only president to have passed away in Ghana. Other presidents have passed away and other presidents will also pass away. Get ready for non-governmental agencies to run your graves too.”
He wondered where National Security was before the grave of the former first gentleman of the land was “desecrated” and called out the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akufo-Dampare, who was the ADC to the late president, to be up and doing.
“This is a disgrace to the memory of Atta-Mills and to the family,” he said.