GHANCY NATIONAL NGOs COALITION FOR YOUTH National Secretariat Post Office Box AS 549; Asawase. . ; Ghana. Tel/Mob:+233-258594570 / +233-236650248/+233-244939121/ e-mail: [email protected] Location: MFCS (NGO) Office- Asawase Community Center, Focus : Sustainable Youth Empowerment(SYE);Positive Youth Development (PYD) Productive Youth Enterprises/Employment ( PYE) ;Appropriate Youth Citizenship(AYC)

5th August, 2012 The Chairman; Funeral Planning Committee; Late President Atta-Mills. State House

Thru; The Minister for Information; Ministry of Information. Accra. 5th/ August/ 2012

Dear Sir; THE DEMISE OF LATEW PRESIDENT, PROF. JOHN EVANS ATTA-MILLS MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE AND TRIBUTE We deem it a matter of concern to inform the President, His Excellency John Drayman Mahama, the Funeral Committee of the Late President, the Bereaved Family and the Widow, Mrs., Dr, Naadu Mills and entire Ghanaians of the following: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION OF ORGANIZATION: a) Nature: The Ghana National NGOs Coalition for Youth (GHANCY) is a legally registered umbrella Civil Society Organization (CSO) which is made up of a number of individual Civil Society Organizations-principally Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)-some of which have been formed and led by young-women and young-men.

2. MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE: On behalf of the leadership and the entire membership of the Ghana National NGOs Coalition for Youth (GHANCY) I convey to the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the widow of the Late President, Mrs. Dr. Naadu Mills, the Family of the late President, the Ekumfi Traditional Council, the National Democratic Congress and the good people of Ghana, our heart-felt condolences, and to express our deep sorrow and shock on the sudden and untimely death of our President, John Evans Atta-Mills. It is our hope and belief that that humble illustrious Christian son of Ghana is rather asleep and resting in the bosom and tabernacle of the Great Omnipotent and Almighty God. This is why you and all of us must be consoled.

2 3. TRIBUTE FROM GHANCY: Please find attached the tribute from the leadership and membership of the Ghana National NGOs Coalition for Youth ( GHANCY)

4. PUBLICATION OF MESSAGE/TRIBUTE: By copies of this message, we request all Media Houses to broadcast/publish the attached tribute for public consumption.

5. We shall also be very grateful id copies of this message will be available to the Widow, Mrs. Naadu Mills, the bereaved Family of Ekumfi-Otuam, and the National Democratic Congress.

Thank You

……………………………………………………… GEORGE ANKOMAH YEBOAH ( NATIONAL PRESIDENT)-GHANCY

COPIES: ALL MEDIA HOUSES

GHANCYGHANA NATIONAL NGOs COALITION FOR YOUTH

TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PRESIDENT, PROF. JOHN EVANS ATTA-MILLS WRITTEN AND PRESENTED BY GEORGE ANKOMAH YEBOAH NATIONAL PRESIDENT, OF GHANCY ON BEHALF OF ALL CIVILSOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS( CSOs) AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs)

THE TRIBUTE Life is a journey, but how often do we think of that journey as a series of steps through time; We are born, we grow, we work and we marry and bring forth children; And then we die. The peak of the journey is reached in late adulthood, and then it is along decline; Life therefore takes the shape of a parabola. The Late President, John Evans Atta-Mills, did go through that journey-those series of steps through time and space; He did reach the peak of the journey, rather in his middle adulthood, and the decline was also too short, steep, sudden, sharp and acute, which as humans we cannot explain, even if we cannot and do not understand it; It is our conviction that God gave and He has taken this beloved statesman back. May he rest in PERFECT PEACE in the Good and Secured Arms of the Almighty God.

IN THE EYES OF CSOS/NGOs Our Late President, John Evans Atta-Mills, was seen in the eyes of CSOs and NGOs as very dedicated to his duties, was selfless, firm and remained focused even in the hurdle of unpalatable naming, callings, and insults from both high-ranking adult and low-profiled young politicians, was respectful, a great and unprecedented academician and scholar in Africa at the age of 27; was a friend and lover of the vulnerable, the disadvantaged, and especially persons with disability ( PWDs),and orphans; was devoted to improving and strengthening the security ; and demonstrated an unflinching concern for the empowerment and well-being of young-people.

2 Prof. was so dear to the hearts of NGOs/CSOs so much that on the day of the announcement of his demise, some leaders of CSOs/NGOs who were holding a workshop at True Vine Hotel in Kumasi shed their tears-weeping indeed. One of us sharply lamented: “ We are in trouble”

Indeed and without mincing words, operators and members of Civil Society Organizations, especially Non-Governmental Organizations will remember the Late President for the following: 1. Demonstration of Religious Discipline and Morality:  This was manifested from his quick negative response and rejection to the demand of the UK Prime Minister, to adopt and legalize homosexualism and gayism in Ghana. Indeed this was not by pressure from Ghanaians, but was based on his Christian principles, beliefs and doctrine., liker all Clergymen and Traditional Leaders  When some sections of society, especially some politicians condemned him for using the Castle as Prayer Camp, he remained resolute and calm

2. Concern for Equity in Quality of Provision:  As a great and unprecedented scholar and academician, he felt that studying under trees was a denial and abuse of children’s rights. This he showed by removing many children from the under-trees learning environment and provided them with good classrooms, of which CSOs are witnesses in several parts of the country  He was conscious that a lot more graduates from the Senior High Schools lacked admission into Public , and so succeeded in establishing two other Public Universities-namely, the Volta of Health and Allied Sciences, and the Brong Ahafo University of Natural Resources-which will admit the first batches of students, come September, 2012. What a great feat of achievement in social development, in only three and half-years of state leadership.  The increase of the Schools Capitation Grant from GHC3.00 to GHC 4.5 for strengthening improvement in the basic schools which he felt and believed was the foundation of education  The allocation of Laptop Computers to both junior and senior high school students and their teachers to boost teaching and learning is also to be reckoned with in Africa and mostly unsurpassed in the history of . One student from a relatively poor household did remark to me:” Where would my parents had got money to purchase this toll for me..Thanks to Loving and Caring Father President Atta-Mills”

3 Concern for Road Safety and Road Infrastructure:  The rehabilitation of a network of dilapidated roads, continuation of uncompleted network of roads by his predecessor, former President, John Agyekum Kuffour and even when funds were exhausted, and construction of new networks of roads, especially the Western Corridor and the Eastern Corridor are concrete testimonies of his concern for sustainable road infrastructure in the country, within three and half years in office  The procurement of large fleet of towing vehicles to remove disabled vehicles on the roads demonstrates his great concern for human safety on the roads.

3. Concern for Sustainable Food and Agriculture Industry For Food Security:  The introduction and affirmative action on the Savannah Accelerated Development Agency (SADA), that has come to boost agricultural industry and agro-processing enterprises for food security will leave indelible mark on his statesmanship and political presidency.  For us in NGO work, we will demand that the SADA Project should be named JOHN ATTA-MILLS SADA PROJECT(JAMSADAP)  The procurement of large fleet of tractors for farmers in SADA operational areas is an indelible achievement, backed by credit facilities running into millions and millions of cedis given to benefit over 16,000 farmers  Like Osagyefo Dr. , his mentor, he was a good friend of farmers.  The procurement of outboard motors and subsidies on pre-mix fuel for fishermen cannot go unmentioned  And many others

4. Concern for Youth Empowerment, Development and Well-being:  That it was during less than two years of his presidency that the Youth of Ghana were given, and saw with their naked eyes, a first-of-its-kind Progressive National Youth Policy (PNYP),for which the youth made wide inputs into the formulation of the policy, which is far an improvement on then only existing 1999 National Youth Policy formulated by the NDC 1 Administration. This became possible because of the Late President’s directives to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Youth Authority backed by his periodic monitoring on them  The widening of the modules of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to make the scheme equitably beneficial to a large number of disadvantaged Ghanaian Youth, especially to include ICT, road maintenance, in addition to the introduction of Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP), the Youth Employment and Skills Development Centre (YESDEC),and the Youth Agriculture Programme (YIA), from which schools are being supplied with maize and rice  The provision of employment opportunities to Young Persons With Disability (YPWD)in the ICT Sector, with support and partnership from rlg Communications.

Indeed Civil Society Organizations ( CSOs)-especially NGOs and CBOs have more to say to testify to the affirmative and sustainable social development interventions and initiatives carried out by the Late President, especially for the youth of this country, demonstrating his love for the empowerment of the youth, as he put some youth in his administration as Ministers of State and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, and many Boards of Corporation. The Youth of Ghana must therefore Honour him with the continuity of his good services for them by his successor

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REQUEST FOR IMMORTALIZATION OF THE LATE PRESIDENT: While we console with the new President, the Wife( Widow), NDC and entire Ghanaian society, permit us to make the following requests and suggestions towards the immortalization of the Late President John Atta-Mills: i. That the Western Corridor be named after him and eventually be called John Atta-Mills Memorial Western Corridor (JAMWEC) Road, with his edifice erected at the start entrance of the Corridor, which must have a gate to open the Corridor ii. That one of the two Universities built by him be named after him, with is edifice erected at the entrance of the University iii. That one of the Air-Crafts purchased by him to boost the country’s security and military services be named after him as John Atta-Mills Memorial Aircraft( JAMMIR)-with his picture embossed on the side iv. That one of the Halls of the other University be named after him and to be called as Prof. John Atta-Mills Hall of Excellence v. That ten ( 10) of the schools built to replace ten ( 10) of the schools under trees in each Region be named after him-and to be called John Atta-Mills Memorial School of Excellence vi. That a special Fund be set up to be accessed by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to continue the good social development work of the Late President for Youth-and to be named as John Atta-Mills Fund for Youth Development( JAMMFYD)

Once again we say Uncle Atta, DAMIRIFA DUE, DAMIRIFA DUE,, DUE, DUE, DUE NE AMANEHUNU

MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD KEEP HIM IN HOLY ARMS

MAY HE REST IN PERFECT PEACE

GEORGE ANKOMAH YEBOAH (NATIONAL PRESIDENT) =GHANCY