Accra, Ghana – Nearly 14 years after the death of President John Evans Atta Mills on July 24, 2012, his former Communications Director, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, asserts he still has not seen the official autopsy report, leaving the precise cause of the former President’s passing officially unconfirmed for him. Mills remains the only sitting Ghanaian President to have died in office, and the circumstances surrounding his death and the subsequent handling of medical findings have continued to draw public attention.
Anyidoho, who served as a close aide to President Mills, stated on Channel One TV on Sunday, May 10, that he has never been granted access to the official medical findings. This lack of access persists despite his proximity to the late President during his tenure.
The former aide emphasized that his pursuit of the report stems from a desire for transparency, not from any suspicion of foul play. He maintains that his concern has consistently been about the availability of official documentation regarding the former President’s death.
This issue has resurfaced periodically, notably in 2022 when Anyidoho publicly disagreed with Samuel Atta Mills, a relative of the late President, regarding the potential release of the autopsy findings. The debate was further amplified in 2024 when family members of the late President petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, seeking access to the document and reigniting national discourse on the matter.
During the recent television interview, Anyidoho reiterated his lack of knowledge regarding the specific medical cause of President Mills’ death. “Even the autopsy reports, I have not seen them. I don’t know,” he stated. When pressed on whether he had any understanding of the cause of death after so many years, he replied, “If you ask me today, after 14 years, what exactly killed the President, I don’t know. I’ve never known because I’ve not seen any autopsy report.”
The lingering questions surrounding President Mills’ death highlight a broader discussion about transparency in governance and the public’s right to information, particularly concerning the passing of national leaders. The repeated calls for the release of the autopsy report, even after more than a decade, underscore the enduring public interest and the historical significance of this event in Ghana.
The persistence of these inquiries suggests a continued need for clarity and closure for those who were close to the former President and for the Ghanaian public who remember his time in office. The family’s petition to the current administration indicates an ongoing effort to resolve this long-standing matter.
Future developments will likely focus on whether the current government will intervene to facilitate access to the report, or if further actions will be taken by the family or other stakeholders to bring this issue to a definitive resolution. The outcome could set a precedent for how such sensitive information is handled in the future.
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