A YEAR AFTER ETERNITY-2

…agree with him ideologically had. The above sometimes described him as meek and weak but following his death, he has been labeled a strong man.

Again, it was only after his death that a lot of politicians became true and principal witnesses, who hailed, lauded and sang appellations to this hero. Some went to the extent of asking their fellow politicians to emulate him( Mills).

Just after his death, messages of condolence, started pouring in from leaders of other countries across the globe. One could not differentiate between the Queen of England and the ordinary man on the streets of Accra as one word was on the lips of both. This word was ‘SHOCK’! For me, this word was over-used as both literates and illiterates used it in describing our President’s demise.

One may ask why I am putting this piece together. It is exactly a year since Ghana lost its President but as a Ghanaian, I am using this medium to tell our late President, some of the events that have occurred in absence. The following are just a few.

First of all, the then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama was sworn-in as the President of the Republic to complete former President Mills’ tenure which had six more months to end. He was to continue from where the late President Mills ended. Aside being the President at the time, Mr. Mahama was elected as the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2012 general elections.

The second event was the death of former Vice President in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Alhaji Aliu Mahama . On a dull Friday morning, 16th November,2012, Ghanaians had to brace themselves up for weeks of mourning and wailing again. The news of the passing away of its former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama broke and it was unbearable.

His death was equally mind-blowing for the people of Ghana as it seemed a repeated dose within five months for Ghanaians. Though his death was received in the same manner as President Mills’, it was a bigger blow for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) since campaigns and preparations towards the 2012 elections had to be suspended in order to clear that hurdle.

Another event that occurred after President Mills’ death was the collapse of a 6-storey Achimota Melcom Shopping Centre building on Wednesday November 7, 2012 with lives and property destroyed. It was terrible. This worsened the pains Ghanaians have been bearing since July 24, 2012.

One other event that cannot go unmentioned was the 2012 elections. This was keenly contested. It was simply because, President Mahama had only six months to campaign in order to compete with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who has been campaigning since 2010 after he was elected the flag bearer of the NPP. The 2012 elections was eventually won by NDC which was led by John Dramani Mahama but his competitor, Nana Addo, thought otherwise.

Per the provisions of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the winner of the election is to be sworn in as the President of the Republic of Ghana regardless of any questions that might have arisen from the polls. However, the Constitution creates room for anyone who seems not satisfied with the results to challenge the President. According to Article 64(1):

“ The validity of the election of the President may be challenged only by a citizen of Ghana who may present a petition for the purpose to the Supreme Court within twenty-one days after the declaration of the result of the election in respect of which the petition is presented”...