General News of Friday, 26 July 2013

Source: The Herald

Naadu Mills in eyes war with Rawlings

Former President Jerry Rawlings, was captured shaking hands with the widow of the late President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday, during the commemoration of the first anniversary of the death of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, at the Asomdwee Park near The Castle, but it was not clear whether the two are the best of friends.

Mr. Rawlings clearly looked away, whilst Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills struggled for an unfriendly eye contact with the ex-president, who according to ex-Director of Communication at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, caused Prof. Mills lots of pain, which he used to lament over till his demise.

Ex-President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings could not visit the private residence of President Mills after his death. They, however, attended the state funeral.

Reports were that Mrs. Naadu Mills at the time was unhappy with the ex-first couple on their treatment and sometimes open insults on her late husband when he was the president, therefore, refused to welcome the Rawlingses into her Golden Gate Regimanuel Gray Estates house off the Spintex road, despite several attempts by them to sympathize with her.

Mr. Rawlings was one of the late President’s harshest critics, although he had served under Mr. Rawlings as Vice-President before the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2000 election, then led by Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor.

President Mills, while alive, never responded to any of those criticisms from his former boss.