24th July� And The Sun Went Off

President John Evans Atta Mills is dead. He died at the 37 Military Hospital Tuesday afternoon. A statement signed by the Chief of Staff, Henry John Martey Newman confirmed the death. Parliament reconvened to swear Vice-President John Dramani Mahama as the substantive president in accordance with Article 62 of the 1992 constitution. The late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was from Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region of Ghana. He was born in Tarkwa on 21 July, 1944, located in the Western Region of Ghana. He was educated at Achimota School, where he completed the Advance-level Certificate in 1963, and the University of Ghana, Legon, where he received �Black man of the month� several times. Akufo-Addo Suspends Campaign in Honour Of Mills. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party� Presidential Candidate for Election 2012, has suspended the rest of his campaign tour until further notice. He was on a campaign tour of the Evalue Gwira Constituency in the Western Region Tuesday afternoon, when he heard of the sad news of the death of the President of the Republic, Prof. Evans Atta Mills. In statements, he expressed his condolence to the First Lady, Madam Naadu Mills, and the rest of the family. �I extend my condolences to the government and people of Ghana on the death of the President, and also to the National Democratic Congress party on the loss of their leader,� the statement said. Nana Akufo-Addo called on all Ghanaian to stand united in this moment of the national loss and grief, and prayed for the Almighty God that he gives his soul a peaceful place of abode. Reaction From World Leaders Following his death, press statements from the United Nations Secretary-General, Ben Ki-moon said Mills �will be remembered for his statesmanship and years of dedicated service to his country. French President Francois Hollande described Mills as �the guardian of institution and the defender of Ghanaian democracy� committed to Protecting national unity and profoundly attached to African unity and to the place of Africa within the international community.� A White House statements from United State President Barack Obama called Mills a �strong advocate for human rights and advocates for the fair treatment of all Ghanaians, tirelessly working to improve the lives of the Ghanaian people; He helped promote economic growth in Ghana in the midst of challenging global circumstances and strengthened Ghana�s strong tradition of democracy� while Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron praised Mills as �a tireless defender of democracy in West Africa and across the continent� Furthermore, the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihiko Noda lauded Mills for �his exemplary leadership which endeared him to the hearts of many and his contribution to strengthening the relationship between Ghana and Japan.� FIFA President, Sepp Blatter offered his sympathies to Ghanaians on behalf of the worldwide football fraternity saying; �Ghana has lost a great football supporter and a supporter of the development of the game in the country.� In a message of condolence from the Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI �recalled Mills years of public service and his dedication to democratic principles and entrusted the late President�s soul to the providence of Almighty God� The Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Kamalesh Sharma eulogized Atta Mills by describing him as �an inspiring leader, a strong advocate and chairman of the Commonwealth and our membership benefited enormously from his active participation in commonwealth, life and his wisdom.� The West Africa regional body, ECOWAS said President Mills� death �has robbed the region of a voice of wisdom which enriched the discussions of the affairs of the Community.� The Africa Union through its Chairman, Yayi Boni said �the late President Mills had the same vision as the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah and it was a great, great loss for the country and for the continent.� Liberia�s President and 2011 Noble Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf extended her condolences to Ghanaians, saying the news had �come as a surprise. On a personal level his moderation and integrity stood out, playing a strong role at the regional meetings they both attended.� Nigeria�s President Goodluck Jonathan said of Mills: �he was a great friend of our country and a firm believer in the shared heritage and common destiny of all Africans. Presidents Mills and I shared a vision of peace and political stability as well as regional and continental economic integration in pursuit of progress and development, in our individual countries, within the sub-region and in Africa as a whole.� South Africa President Jacob Zuma paid tribute to President Atta Mills, saying: �South Africa and Ghana enjoy strong relations at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, and under President Mills leadership, we saw genuine efforts aimed at deepening the historical relations between our two nations.�