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Stop disturbing the peaceful rest of late former President Prof. John Fiifi Atta Mills!
Various dictionaries including the Oxford English Dictionary, describe colossus as a statue that is much bigger than the life size. It also means a person or thing of enormous size, importance or ability.
For example, the Russian Empire was the colossus of European politics. Simply put, an extremely important and influential politician is an example of colossus. Something likened to a huge statue, as in size or importance, there is no certain limitation to his strength and like most heroes, it is augmented by his willpower.
DILAPIDATED GRAVESIDE OF PROF. ATTA MILLS
To me, Koku Anyidoho, a former member of the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a close confidant and press secretary of the late former President of the Republic of Ghana, deserves that accolade of colossus because of attributes such as mighty, indomitable, domineering, influential, herculean, ruthless, ruling among others.
He exhibited these qualities recently in a controversy involving him, the family of the late President John Fiifi Atta Mills and the opposition NDC, over the dilapidated condition of the burial grounds and the tomb of the former President and its rehabilitation by the state-sponsored project.
Koku’s involvement in this project which was initiated by his non-governmental organisation known as Atta Mills Institute (AMI) which received state sponsorship to face-lift the final resting place of the late professor to commemorate his 10th anniversary of his death, generated heated and nasty exchanges between him and the Atta Mills’ family led by the junior brother of the late president, Samuel Atta Mills, who is the Member of Parliament for Komenda –Edina- Eguafo- Abrem Constituency in the Central Region.
The NDC party of which the former late president was a staunch member and leader of the party, later joined the fracas against Koku, backed by the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
SHAMEFUL SPECTACLE RECORDED
The accusations, insults, acrimonies, name calling and negative activities that transpired prior to the observance of the 10th anniversary of late former president and statesman, noted for his peaceful demeanor, which earned him the accolade, Asomdwehene were so distasteful, shameful and difficult to comprehend.
The family of Atta Mills led by his brother, Samuel Atta-Mills was furious that the government had allowed the Atta Mills Institute to tamper with the grave of the late former President.
According to him the current arrangement was against their custom saying, “It is not proper to allow the Non governmental Organisation (NGO) to make changes to the grave without recourse to the family. Apparently, a group calling itself Atta Mills Institute that the family does not recognise and Coastal Development Authority (CDA) have gone to break this grave of President Evans Atta Mills. Why would you go and touch somebody’s grave without informing the family? Who has the body now? This is the question I want to ask Ghanaians.”
ALLEGED DESECRATION OF ATTA MILLS’ GRAVE
The furious brother of the former late President asked the government to immediately stop the conduct of Koku Anyidoho because he was desecrating the resting place of his brother. Hear him “This is an insult to the family, this is an insult to we the Akans, this is an insult to the nation.
The government allows an NGO and Coastal Development Authority to run Asomdwe Park. Why don’t we send another NGO to go and run Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum? The government has to provide the body of President John Atta Mills. We want to find out where the body is? Who in this government is authorising this nonsense?
REFUTAL OF ALLEGATION BY KOKU ANYIDOHO
But in a sharp rebuttal to the response of the accusations, former aide to John Atta Mills and founder of the AMI, denied claims of tampering the grave of the late President. According to him, he would not dignify the insults meted out to him, insisting that his action was solely to preserve the memory of the late former President. “Nobody has tampered with anything?
What is being done is the reconstruction of the Asomdwe Park. President Mills died as President of the Republic of Ghana. Where has Sammy Atta Mills been all these years? Does he now remember that the late President was his brother? What has he done to keep the memory of his brother alive? I respect the family so much, but I will not dignify Sammy Atta Mills, “ says Koku.
NDC CRITICISES THE BUST OF PROF MILLS
The NDC minority in Parliament in a tribute expressed displeasure over the omission of the name of the late President Atta- Mills on the plaque placed beneath his bust at the Asomdwe Park.
The bust was unveiled on Sunday, July 24, 2022, by President Akufo-Addo to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing of the late President. A news conference held recently by the Minority, called for immediate steps to be taken to correct the anomaly.
The Minority leader who spoke on behalf of the group described the omission as unfortunate, saying the name on the plaque on the bust was to inform visitors to the park whose bust has been erected instead of the name of President Akufo-Addo and the founder of the Atta-Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho, as those who unveiled the plaque.
“We are demanding from President Akufo-Addo and his associates such as Koku Anyidoho to do what is right and appropriate and to remind them that the office of the former President is an institutional office and it goes beyond the persona John Evans Atta-Mills,” he said.
MILLS’ FAMILY THREATENS COURT ACTION AGAINST KOKU
At the time when everybody thought the controversy was over despite the double and separate observances of wreath laying by the government and the main opposition NDC, the Senior brother of late former President and Ebusuapanyin of the family, Dr. Cadman Mills has resurrected the case, accusing Koku Anyidoho of using the Atta Mills Institute to “sow divisions and insult elders” saying that “that was not what Fiifi (Atta Mills) stood for.”
According to him, the family was considering legal action over the operation of the Atta Mills Institute, founded by Koku Anyidoho, adding that Koku was using the name of the late President to run his institute without authorisation from them.
Dr. Cadman Mills who spoke at a public lecture recently to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of President Mills, said the family had decided that it would contact its solicitors to make sure that they explore all avenues to stop Atta Mills Institute from operating.
Indeed, in the realms of eternity, the dead must rest peacefully and nothing should disturb that person who had passed on to glory from having a serene and eternal rest, even in his or her grave.
The Holy Bible says in the Book of Mathew that, those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Outside of burial ceremonies and gravestones, rest in peace has come to be used in obituaries and online to signify respect and well wishes for the beloved person who has died.
PROF. MILLS DESERVES PEACEFUL REST
This clearly reminds us that even in death, there is the need for a serene atmosphere for our beloved ones who have passed on to eternity to rest peacefully. However, in the case of our former late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, that had not been the case at all. Ten years after his demise, his soul continues to turn in his grave without enjoying that peaceful rest, because it is being disturbed continually by his family, party faithful, close associates among other aggrieved persons in the society.
It was time the feuding parties at the centre of controversy, bury their individual differences, stop these petty bickering and rally together to accord that greatest statesman, that due and unnegotiated respect he deserved, even while at his final resting place at the Asomdwe Park, so that his soul can enjoy that peaceful and lasting rest.
Losing a sitting President is not something a nation can brood over. Let us accord this great man all the courtesies he deserved at his final resting place, because he once upon a time, sacrificed his life, time and everything for the betterment of our dear nation. Fare thee well Asomdwehene, a man of peace! Sleep well, man of many parts!
BY CHARLES NEEQUAYE
Writer’s email: ataani2000@yahoo.com
Contact: 0277753946/0248933366
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, it was the turn of Ghanaian Catholics in Finland to lead the singing in the church service of the African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland (ACCF).
It was indeed a spirit-filled feeling for worshippers present. And for the Ghanaian migrants, the occasion also brought back to them memories of church services in their home country, Ghana.
The ACCF has a roster for each country/community to sing from time to time. Next Sunday will be the turn of the Nigerian community. Other communities that usually sing are the Kenyan/Tanzanian community, the Cameroonian, the Ugandan, group, etc.
A powerful religious experience
The mass services of the Chaplaincy usually give a powerful religious experience and a display of cultural diversity, especially in occasions such as when the Bishop of Helsinki, Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, celebrated mass with the Chaplaincy on Pentecost Day, May 24, 2026.
There was a similar time of spiritual joy last month (September 27, 2026) when Emeritus Bishop Teemu Sippo, former Bishop of Helsinki, visited the Chaplaincy. Bishop Teemu was the main celebrant, assisted by the Chaplain, Reverend Father Thomas Otieno.
Last Sunday, Reverend Father Bernard Sor, a Ghanaian Catholic priest based in Austria, was the main celebrant in the mass service where he performed a rite of baptism. Fr Bernard had celebrated mass a few months ago when he visited his sister and her husband in Helsinki. 
All these well-attended religious occasions indeed leave lasting memories. The homilies (peaching) by the priests usually emphasize religious tenets such as the importance of loving and serving God in truth, existing in peace with our fellow humans to promote unity in diversity, etc.
Unity in diversity and a colourful display of cultures
The African Chaplaincy church services usually produce impressive displays of diverse cultures from different parts of Africa and elsewhere. The events are often spiced by rich cultural displays of dances and colourful attires which are a delight to watch.
On special occasions, members of the Ghanaian Catholic community, in their gay and colourful kente attire and with adowa dance and music, usually lead the procession into the church. Other communities such as the Cameroonian, Nigerian, Kenyan and Tanzanian as well as Sudanese/South Sudanese groups also put up well-choreographed performances from their cultures.
The African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland
The African Chaplaincy was founded on June 4, 2017, which was a Pentecost Sunday, in a Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Emeritus Sippo S.C.I., the then Bishop of Helsinki, at the St. Mary’s Catholic Parish Church in Helsinki.
The Chaplaincy was created by Bishop Teemu in collaboration with the Diocesan body when they detected a great flocking of African immigrants to Finland, the majority of whom were Catholics. This was to give the immigrants a possibility to integrate into the Finnish society by worshiping as Catholics and in their African cultural identity.
The responsibility of the Chaplaincy was given by Bishop Teemu to Father Dr Leonard Wobilla Shwei, who is thus the first Chaplain and ably led the Chaplaincy. He was succeeded a few years ago by Father Thomas Otieno, who continues to move the Chaplaincy forward. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
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She did not find out he was cheating. She found out he was drowning.
It was two weeks after their beautiful wedding. The jollof was still in the fridge. A loan officer called her number-not his-and politely asked, “Madam, please tell your husband to pay his overdue loan. We have been calling him.”
That was how she discovered her new husband had entered their marriage with a hidden debt of over GH¢ 40,000. No cheating. No other woman. Just a financial secret.
And that is how many Ghanaian marriages begin to die. Not with a shout, but with a secret alert on a phone.
We prepare for the wedding. We do not prepare for the wallet.
What is money honesty?
Let me define it simply. Money honesty is not that you both earn the same. It is that you both know the same. It is the ability to sit down and say without fear:
“This is how much I earn.”
“This is how much I owe.”
“This is how I was raised to see money.”
“This is what scares me about money.”
Financial transparency is not about control. It is about clarity. You cannot build trust on top of secrets.
Many couples tell me, “Counsellor, we love each other, love will handle money.” I always answer, “Love is the car, but money honesty is the fuel. Love without honesty cannot move.”
How To Buy Your Marriage Insurance Today – My 5-Step Protocol
If you are engaged, newly married, or even 20 years in marriage, you can still fix this. At Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult—CPAC, this is what I give couples:
Step 1: The 90-Minute Money Naked Session.
No phones, no blame. Each partner writes down on paper: Monthly income, monthly debts, monthly family obligations, savings, and your biggest money fear. Then you exchange papers. Read it. Don’t react for 24 hours. Just absorb.
Step 2: Create OUR Money, YOUR Money, My Money.
You need three pots. OUR money for rent, food, school fees, utilities, properties, and the like— joint contribution. YOUR money and MY money—a small agreed allowance no one questions. This stops the feeling of being controlled.
Step 3: The No-Secret Debt Rule.
Agree from today: No new loan, no new hire purchase, no new family financial commitment above GHS 500 without telling each other first. Not permission, but information.
Step 4: Talk About Your Money Personality.
Are you a Spender or a Saver? Are you Risky or Safe? Most Ghanaian marriages are a Spender married to a Saver. Neither is wrong. But if you don’t understand your partner’s personality, you will call his saving “stinginess” and her spending “wastefulness.”
Step 5: Do a Monthly 30-Minute Money Date
Not an argument date. Light, with tea. “How did we do this month? What worried you? What should we plan for next month?” Couples who do this divorce far less.
My Final Word
Before you say “I Do” at the altar, have pre-marital counselling and also have the money talk on the sofa.
Ask your partner:
“If I lost my job today, how long can we survive?”
“What debt are you bringing into this marriage?”
“How much do you send to your family monthly and will that continue?”
If he or she gets angry that you asked, don’t get married yet. A person who is angry about accountability will be abusive about money.
Marriage insurance is not bought at Star Assurance or Enterprise. It is bought in honest conversations when no one is watching.
The wedding costs one day. The marriage costs a lifetime. Don’t enter a lifetime contract and covenant with hidden costs.
You can still insure your marriage today.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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