The late President John Evans Atta Mills' family has given notice that if they are not permitted to pay respects to him in Asomdwe Park on Sunday, they would move the mortal remains of their ancestors.
This was in response to Koku Anyidoho, the founder of Atta Mills Institute, threatening to prevent the late statesman's kin from attending the location to mark the 10th anniversary of his demise.
After a memorial ceremony of gratitude, President Akufo-Addo will inaugurate the Asomdwe Park, according to Mr. Anyidoho.
He vowed that "John Dramani Mahama and Sammy Atta Mills will never enter the site to conduct anything there" following the commissioning.
The brother of President Mills, Samuel Atta-Mills, however, stated on JoyNews' UpFront that if Mr. Anyidoho's NGO continues to be in charge of overseeing the park, they will take all necessary steps to exhume his brother's body and relocate his burial site.
"President John Evans Atta Mills is interred at Asomdwe Park; anyone from Ghana is welcome to visit." Now, if an NGO claims that it will stop a family, a party, or other visitors from travelling to the location, we should advise ourselves.
If you won't let us [the family] go, then we advise ourselves to seek official authorization, as it is only a national site because Prof. Mills was buried there. He raged, "Take the body away from there and bury him somewhere else.
He also questioned why the Koku Anyidoho-led Atta Mills Institute was still in charge of maintaining the statesman's resting site.
"National security is the focus there. They are responsible for it. They are expected to keep it up, he said.
The family of the late President and Mr. Anyidoho have been at odds over the upkeep of Asomdwe Park, his final resting place, for the past ten years as the anniversary of his passing approaches.
The Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) MP stated that although the family has no objections to the state restoring the cemetery, the kin should have been contacted.
According to Mr. Atta-Mills, there are traditions and practises that must be followed in these situations.
We have no objections about the renovation of the property. It just elevates our president, who is also our brother and family member... We are Akans, though, and we don't want you touching the grave. We follow norms and conventions. You never touch a cemetery to alter it without first consulting the family patriarch and members. It's a rather straightforward case," he stated on Wednesday.
On July 24, 2012, former president John Evans Atta Mills passed away while still in office.
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