A dishonour was done to the memory of Mills – Koku reacts to the tomb of Sir John

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Atta-Mills Institute Koku Anyidoho has said the tomb constructed for the burial of late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John should not cause any stir.

According to him, residents in the community are the ones who contributed to have the man buried in the tomb.

He said it is just a simple room with a grave within it.

He disagreed with the assertion that this represents opulence because the people of Wunoo want to give their late son a befitting burial for his contributions to the community.

He was however disappointed that the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills could not have his own party give him a befitting resting place although he served them well.

He said it is sad that the NDC did not give Atta Mills a dignified resting place.

“Is it not sad, is it not painful, is it not regrettable that individuals and families have given their departed ones a dignified resting place, a certain NDC government did not give Atta Mills a dignified resting place. Is it not sad? Is it not sad that a government which he superintended and his predecessor couldn’t give him a dignified resting place at Asomdwee park? It had to take President Akufo-Addo to start working on giving him a dignified resting place,” he said.

“It is not about opulence or profligate spending. It is about the dignity that we give to people who deserve it. A nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for. When the late Rawlings decided to give late Nkrumah a dignified resting place it wasn’t about opulence. For the people of Wunoo, Sir John was an icon so they have given him this resting place.

A photograph of the tomb

“It can become a tourist attraction for people to come and want to see where Sir John was rested. That is why it hurts me and continue to hurt me that his [Atta Mills] own government didn’t give him a dignified resting place.”

He said it was sad that news went round that the Asomdwee park once became a den for criminals and prostitutes until the NPP administration took steps to continue with the project.