Former spokesperson for late President John Evans Atta Mills, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, has criticized Mills’ vice president for neglecting to honor the late president after assuming office.
Anyidoho, known for his frequent criticisms of former President John Dramani Mahama, strongly asserted that during Mahama’s presidency, no significant national or regional monument was named after Mills.
Mahama served a brief period finishing Mills’ term in 2012 before being elected for a full term later that year.
In a post dated June 18, 2024, Anyidoho pointed out that even a former Mayor of Accra (now MP for Ablekuma South, NDC) had named a stretch of road in Accra after the late president, but his vice president failed to take similar action.
“As we continue to speak to facts, do you know that apart from Oko Vanderpuye using his position as Mayor of Accra, to name the High Street after President Atta-Mills, JM on his own did NOT name anything after his late boss?” Anyidoho quizzed.
Anyidoho has also accused Mahama of neglecting the upkeep of Asomdwee Park, where Mills was laid to rest. Recently, the park was renovated through efforts from Anyidoho’s Atta Mills Institute in collaboration with the Coastal Development Authority (CoDA).
In August 2012, shortly after Mills’ passing, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly under Alfred Oko Vanderpuije’s leadership decided to rename the Accra High Street and the new Millennium City School at the Salvation Army Cluster of Schools after the late president John Evans Atta Mills.
During an urgent assembly meeting to approve the name changes, it was decided that the Accra High Street would be known as “Evans Atta Mills Street”, while the Salvation Army Cluster of Schools as will now be known as “President Evans Atta Mills Educational Center of Excellence”.
Mayor of the City, Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, announced that these changes would be implemented even before Mills’ funeral on August 10, 2012.