“Our Son died in a bed, at peace with himself, and with dignity in the eyes of equally well-thinking men. Such a kind fate may not befall those tempted to stride the world as rabble-rousing tin-gods.” That is according to the bruised family of the late President John Evans Atta Mills in response to comments by former President Rawlings.

A statement signed by Abusuapanyin Nkuma-Kyerba Twidan on behalf of the family said the family has had enough of the constant attack on the person of the late President Mills whose only fault, according to them, was seeking to serve his country.

President John Evans Atta Mills died on Tuesday at about 14:15 GMT. The autopsy result is yet to be made public.

Former President Rawlings, in an interview with BBC on the same day stated that “quite frankly I think that had he been advised and done something wiser earlier on, he could probably have survived for another six, seven months, I guess but it got too tight, it got extremely tight.” He further reaffirmed his comments when he touched down at the Kotoka International Airport.

But the statement from Prof. JEA Mills' family said: “Our entire family wishes it be known that in the spirit of tolerance and peace, as consistently preached by the late Prof. Atta-Mills throughout his life, we have over the past three years remained quiet over the constant harassment and insults poured on our Son simply because he took the path of presiding over his country in a humane, sensible, non-vindictive and lawful manner, without the specter of blood-curdling acts and speeches that only threaten the peace and stability of our country.”

The family said they have soaked up the un-dignified insults against the late Prof. Mills for the past three years and are thus “provoked to face up to those whose minds continue to ferment such uncouth , derogatory, uncensored insults and from whose lips they spew. Nonetheless, we remain restrained, for now.”**