*.…ALEX SEGBEFIA CONFIRMS HE DIED AT THE CASTLE*

Thursday, July 24 marks exactly one year of the death of Ghana’s 3rdPresident under the Fourth Republic, John Evans Atta-Mills. In times like this, when we as Ghanaians are supposed to celebrate the life of the “Asomdwehene”, we cannot but ask ourselves certain pertinent questions which remain, hitherto, largely unanswered till date.

One of such questions is, “How did President John Fiifi Evans Atta-Mills die?” Like all other Heads of State in so-called developed countries who pass away, the cause of death is well known. However, in Ghana, this information has been classified as a “state secret”, information being closely guarded by officials at the Castle, a majority of who have now moved to the Flagstaff House.

If doubts still lingered on in the minds of some Ghanaians about where and how Ghana’s former President John Evans Atta-Mills died, those doubts were, last Saturday 20th July, in the studios of Citi FM consigned to the history books.

A former appointee of the Mills-Mahama administration who served as a deputy Chief of Staff made it emphatically clear that President Mills died at the Castle, Osu and nowhere else (not at the 37 Military Hospital) as some propagandists may want Ghanaians to believe.

Alex Segbefia confirmed on Citi FM’s “Big Issues” Saturday that he got to hear of Mills’ death 2 minutes after it happened whilst he was working at the castle, adding that “President Mills died at the Castle.”

On that fateful day, July 24, 2012 President Mils was handed an oil contract to sign by his secretary. The previous night, however, President Mills complained of severe pains and only had access to his doctors at 10am on the day he passed away.

After receiving the documents, President Mills, who was showing signs of weakness, became agitated and declined to look at the documents. He signalled his secretary, in anger, to take the documents away because he was not well. As the woman turned round, President Mills fell on the floor, bleeding through his nose.

In the heat of the confusion and the panic that ensued, President Mills was been bundled onto a stretcher and into a stationary ambulance at the Osu Castle to be sent to the 37 Military Hospital, with no notice to the medical officials there. Surprisingly, the police dispatch riders were nowhere to be found to lead the ambulance to the hospital.

This caused a delay in the decision-making process as to whether to take the former President to the 37 Military Hospital or what to do, a situation that was said to have been compounded by the non-availabilty of the outriders when needed.

This explains why President Mills was taken to the 37 Military slouched in the back seat, with his head bent to deal with the bleeding. Only a soldier and police officer accompanied the body. Handlers of the late President and officials at the Castle wanted to hide it. Not even his aide-de-camp followed the body to 37.

After the vehicle carrying the remains of the dead President arrived in at the 37 Military Hospital, the soldier and the policeman took the vehicle to the maternity ward, not sure how to get the body to the morgue.

Upon reaching the Maternity ward, they told a nurse that matter that an “important person” was unwell and needed a screen and stretcher. But a senior nurse, a Lieutenant Colonel, came to the vehicle saw it was President Mills and started screaming instructions that he had to be taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). But he was long dead.

*Mills to be partly blamed*

When President Mills last travelled to United States for “medical check-up”, the doctors wanted him to stay there for two months for treatment.

He was being sustained by steroids and they needed to change that because his situation had worsened. But, as usual, his “blood sucking” handlers said no. They didn't want to risk him filing his nomination and dying. If he had to die then he had to die now.

Echoing the thoughts of the NDC hierarchy, as wonderfully stated by Anita De Soso, the death of President Mills in July was a blessing because the constitution of Ghana, and indeed would never have allowed the NDC to change candidates had President Mills passed away some 2 months into December 7 election

Infact when President Mills was forcibly brought back to Ghana, he was taken to the Peduase Lodge and his handlers left him there.

According to a close source, "Prof thought they were leaving him there to die on his own. So he tricked them and left for Accra after two weeks never to return."

"They even resisted his visits to Spintex home, because Naadu was forcing us to allow him to resign."

In as much as his handlers contributed to his death, I also blame the late Professor for going along with the deceit.

He knew he was not well and was dying. He knew heeding to the advice of his doctors in the United States to stay a couple of months more to be treated was his sure way of beating this disease. Yet still, he rushed back to Ghana, jogging on the tarmac at the Kotoka International Airport, wearing a suit after being injected with steroids.

President Mills knew he was dying but yet still told the people gathered at the Airport, in a frail voice, that he had been given new lease of life by his doctors.

I leave it at that.

Fare thee well President Mills and "Damirifa Due, Due ne Amanehunu

*By: Albert Adamu, a freelance journalist*