(Reuters) – Ghana’s President John Atta Mills has died unexpectedly, a presidential statement said, and an aide said his death occurred on Tuesday after he took ill on Monday night.
The death of the president of the world’s No. 2 cocoa grower comes months before Mills was due to stand for re-election at the helm of the West African country that posted double-digit growth in 2011 and has been praised for its strong democracy in a turbulent region.
“It is with a heavy heart…that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana,” a statement sent to Reuters by the president’s office said.
It said that Mills, 68, died a few hours after being taken ill but no further details were given.
A presidential aide, who asked not to be named, said the president had complained of pains on Monday evening and died early on Tuesday afternoon when his condition worsened.
Mills, who oversaw the start of oil production in Ghana, returned from medical checks in the United States several weeks ago.
From left Ghana’s President John Atta Mills and Dictator Meles Zenawi
Editor note: In a democratic country the president’s death announced immediately.
Ghana’s President John Atta Mills was with Meles Zenawi on May 18 in Washington D.C. Ghanians were told he was sick and died immediately.
Dominic Nelson Simire
July 25, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Mr President goodbye your name is John and we will never stop mourning you
God looked around his garden
And He found an empty place.
He then looked down upon this earth,
And saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering
He knew you were in pain
He knew that you would never
Get well on earth again.
He saw that the road was getting rough.
And the hills are hard to climb,
So He closed your weary eyelids
And whispered “Peace be thine”.
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you didn’t go alone
For part of us went with you
That day that God called you home