The news of President John Evans Mills’ demise was received with mixed public expression of sorrow and scepticism at the Madina Market at about 1700 hours on Tuesday.

Traders and shoppers randomly converged in groups with those believing the information paying him tribute and solemnly asking questions about the repercussions of the national tragedy in relation to a possible leadership crisis in both the Government and the ruling National Democratic Congress.

However, the skeptics dismissed the news as one of those previous rumours about his ill-health and subsequent demise, which turned out to be hoaxes.

The GNA saw a good number of people glued to their radio sets monitoring the live coverage of the unfolding tragedy whereas others were on their cell phones apparently seeking confirmation from their rather trusted sources or just needing a companion to chat about the event.

There was, however, some moments which could be described as “sweet relief” when some people who were gathered around a television set shouted that the Former President was live on television dispelling the rumour about his death, once again.

This intervention was received with shouts of joy, celebration and condemnation of those who did not want to see the President alive.

But as the radio stations pressed on with their reaction stories and tributes, it became evident that the rather optimistic television viewers had been carried away by a library footage in which the late President queried those who had declared him dead sometime last month.

Subsequently, the reality of the unprecedented national tragedy set in carrying with it the expression of and deep sorrow, speculations about the cause of death and who might have been behind it characterised by that flavour of colourisation that often characterise debates about national issues.**