If tears could resurrect the late President John Evans Atta Mills, he would be alive by now to continue his administration, as residents of Central Region have been weeping uncontrollably since his death was announced.

At Ekumfi Otuam, the hometown of the late President Mills, hundreds of residents burst into uncontrollable tears upon hearing about his demise.

The people, who were all dressed in red and black attires, indicating their sadness about the death, converged in front of the shrine in the town as early as 6:00am yesterday, amidst Asafo company drums, chanting songs.

All activities came to a halt as school children even abandoned their classes and joined their parents at the grounds.

Addressing the press, the Mills Ebusuapanyin of Odumna family of Otuam, Nana Akyinim Acquah, stated that the family, the region and the whole nation had lost a great person.

He described President Mills as humble and a peacemaker who always ensured peace in the family.

Nana Acquah noted that President Mills promised doing a lot for the family but death had taken him away so soon and never allowed him to fulfill those promises to the family.

“We never thought he could leave us so soon. He has been here three times in a month and had even promised to join us to celebrate the Akwambo Festival which is scheduled for October,” he said.

“He promised to reconstruct our roads, build a secondary school as well as provide potable water for us but he was able to provide eight polytanks with a promise to complete the rest by next month,” he added.

He therefore appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to fulfill all promises made to them by the late president. Nana Acquah indicated that although they were aware of the president’s death, they were waiting for government to inform them officially as custom demanded.

He added that the family members were ready to join the state to give Mills a befitting burial.

In another development, the Cape Coast Constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held a rally to pay tribute to President Mills.

The rally, which was followed by a float through the principal streets of Cape Coast, was attended by party bigwigs in the region including metropolitan/municipal and district chief executives, regional and constituency executives as well supporters of the party and residents.

All the speakers who mounted the podium to address the large crowd who turned up for the event described President Mills as a humble person who had the interest of Ghana at heart.

The Central regional organiser of the NDC, Abeiku Aggrey, wept uncontrollably when he was given the microphone to pay tribute to the late president.

The party then declared a one week mourning period to pay its last respect to the late president while it awaited a decision from the party headquarters in Accra.

Daily Guide observed that not only sympathisers of the NDC were saddened by the president’s death as members of opposition parties were dressed in black and red, with various institutions and offices also displaying red bands and workers wearing same.

The Central regional branch of New Patriotic Party (NPP) sent its condolence to the family, the Central regional NDC as well as the national office of the NDC.

The regional secretary of the NPP, Kwamena Duncan, in a release issued to Daily Guide, expressed the party’s shock over the death of the president.

According to him, it was their prayer that God protect Mills for them to defeat him in the upcoming elections.

Mr Duncan therefore advised the NDC not to use the death of President Mills as an excuse but be ready to be defeated in during the December elections.