Ghana Plans One-week Mourning for Atta- Mills

Alhaji Abdulai Abukari, Consul-General of Ghana High Commission ,disclosed this in Lagos on Wednesday.
 
The Consul-General said though the late president had been battling with heart problems, the news of his death came as a shock to the Ghanaian community and friends.
 
“The news of his death came to us all as a shock. We are devastated by the shocking news.
 
“We have lost an illustrious son and seasoned democrat. As a first step toward honouring him, the government has declared a national mourning period for him,’’ he said.
 
Abukari said during the one-week period, official engagements would be between the hours of 10. 00a.m. and 2.00 p.m. in all government organisations and establishments in that country.
 
 The envoy said the people of Ghana would miss the late president for his humility, tolerance and visionary leadership.
 
“We have indeed lost an icon of a leader. Here was a man, who had the interest of Ghanaian people at heart.
 
“It was his leadership qualities that endeared him to President Obama of the United States. It was President Obama’s strong belief in him that made him visit Ghana,’’ he said
 
Abukari also extolled the late president’s contributions to regional integration, peace building process among Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) member states.
 
He said the late president died few days after he returned from a medical check up in the U.S.
 
The Consul-General said letters had been sent to the Lagos State Government and other diplomatic Missions in Lagos, to officially intimate them of the death.
 
He said no date had been fixed for the final burial of the late President.
 
Reporters, who visited the Ghana High Commission’s office in Lagos, reports that the country’s national flag was flying at half mast, while a condolence register has been opened in the office for sympathisers.