The Late President Prof. John Evans Attah Mills

President Prof. John Evans Attah Mills

Below is a note from Enoch Nyador, Director of Ghana Christian Mission, on attending the funeral of the late President of Ghana last summer.  

"Attending the funeral of the late President of Ghana, Prof. John Evans Attah Mills meant a lot to me on many levels.  He was someone close to my wife's family long before he was elected as the President of our nation. The closest I got to him was when Lydia served him lunch at the residence of her brother, Dr. Bernard Glover at Akutukope after a church building dedication at which he spoke and I led a prayer.  We felt we lost a family member and in deed, shed a lot of tears for him.  On another level, his life was an integration of high Christian integrity with dedicated political service.  Prof. Mills was not ashamed to declare his faith and love for Jesus publicly and backed it with a high quality of dedicated leadership devoid of corruption and selfishness.  He was one politician who was not motivated by the love of money, power or personal aggrandizement.  He exemplified humble and passionate service to the population that elected him.  Finally, being at his funeral was to pay tribute to his love of unity of our nation.  He worked hard to breakdown tribal differences and encouraged all of us to love and accept one another as fellow citizens with a common destiny.  He frowned upon seeking personal or communal revenge.  He preached and practiced tolerance of opposing views and persons.  I pray God would give me half a heart as big and loving as that of my dear late President Prof. Mills."

Where Are All the People?

In January of 2012 Emmanuel Akorli was invited by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business to come to Indiana to be a part of their program.  Mission Resource has been involved with their GLOBASE program and worked with them in Ghana in 2011 and 2012.  One of the most interesting comments Emmanuel made upon his visit to Indiana was “where are all the people?”   

In Ghana as you look out a window or drive down the street, you literally see thousands of people walking, talking, and going about their business.  Here you rarely see anyone.  We are either in our cars or in our homes or businesses.  No one is relating with their neighbors or co-workers in a way that is similar to the way it is done in Ghana.  Years ago I heard that two of the greatest difference makers in how Americans relate happened when air-conditioning became common in our homes which brought people off their front porches and into their living rooms with the second cause of lesser amounts of interaction—the television.

Blessings,

David Ketchum