Mills' family unhappy with consent not sort
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Samuel Atta Mills, younger brother of late President John Evans Atta Mills and MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem, has accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Atta Mills Institute (AMI), Koku Anyidoho, of profiteering from the name of the late president.
In an interview with Accra-based Joy News on July 20, 2022, the MP said Koku Anyidoho has been receiving some monies from organizations and individuals through his Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the ‘Atta Mills Institute’ so-called.
But for the ‘Atta Mills’ name attached to the NGO, the brother of the late President suggested that no government agency or individuals would have been dealing with Anyidoho.
He also expressed concerns with the seeming ‘control’ of Asomdwee Park by Mr. Anyidoho’s NGO.
Asked if the AMI boss has the backing of the state in engaging his numerous activities at the resting place of the late president, Samuel Atta Mills responded: “there are some invitation cards that have gone round with the Coat of Arms on it. With the Institute and Coastal Development Authority (CODA) on it inviting people to go there because His Excellency the President is going to commission the place and the guy [Koku Anyidoho] running this NGO is threatening us from going over there.
“You should be reading some of the tweets. Until I came, I had kept quiet because of who we are. We are peace-loving people. We are humble people we don’t want to create waves but before that he had sent so many tweets insulting us. Look, you [Koku Anyidoho] are not a family member.
“You are just goofing off the name ‘Atta Mills’. You are just collecting some coins with the name ‘Atta Mills’. That is not an allegation, it is a fact going on. When did it become the responsibility of an NGO to run a funeral place?”.
He added that “people have contributed to him. People have contributed to his organization. If he didn’t have the name Atta Mills attached to the institute, do you think CODA will work with him?”.
Background
Samuel Atta Mills on July 19 had cause to raise concerns over some construction works which were happening at the Asomdwee Park, the final resting place of the late president.
According to him, the government through CODA and Anyidoho's AMI had tampered with the tomb of the late President Atta Mills without informing the family – an action he said was offensive.
He further wondered if the body of the late president was still in the tomb.
“A group calling itself Atta Mills Institute that the family doesn’t even recognize, and Coastal Development Authority, have gone to break the grave of President John Evans Atta Mills. They have removed the tomb, and they claim that they are rebuilding it.
“My question is that, we have a family tradition. Now that they have touched someone’s grave, is the body still in there? Who has the body? Why will you touch the body without informing the family head? Under whose authority? Why do they want us to always go through grief?
"Now, you allowed somebody like Koku Anyidoho, that buffoon, working with Atta Mills Institute to go and touch this grave without informing our family head; this is a former President, why will the government allow this to happen? This is an insult to the family and the nation,” Samuel Atta-Mills said.
Meanwhile, Sunday, July 24, 2022, will mark 10 years since the demise of Atta Mills and according to Koku Anyidoho, a memorial thanksgiving service will be held after which President Akufo-Addo will commission the remodeled Asomdwee Park.
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DS/SARA
Koku Anyidoho and Samuel Atta Mills