The J.E.A. Mills Memorial Heritage has announced a series of activities to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the passing of former President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, with a renewed call for Ghanaians to embrace the ideals of peace, unity and national service that defined his presidency.
Announcing the programme at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, the Heritage revealed that the week-long commemoration will culminate in a memorial lecture, a wreath-laying ceremony at Asomdwee Park, and a memorial hockey tournament in honour of Ghana’s late President, who remains the only Head of State in the country’s Fourth Republic to have died while in office.
The commemoration is anchored on one of President Mills’ most memorable declarations made at his inauguration:
“It will be my duty as President to heal wounds and unite our dear nation. I intend to pursue relentlessly all avenues for entrenching peace and unity in all parts of the country, as I am enjoined by the Constitution to do.”
The organisers described the statement as a timeless reflection of President Mills’ commitment to national reconciliation, democratic governance and peaceful coexistence.
President Mills died peacefully on July 24, 2012, at the age of 68, sending shockwaves across Ghana and beyond. Widely respected as a distinguished academic, tax law expert, and statesman, he served as Ghana’s third President under the Fourth Republic after decades of teaching and research at the University of Ghana before entering politics.
To preserve his legacy, the J.E.A. Mills Memorial Heritage was incorporated on October 14, 2021, as a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent charitable organisation. Officially launched on February 1, 2022, the Heritage seeks to inspire future generations by promoting President Mills’ values of integrity, democratic governance, peace, and human development.
Since its establishment, the organisation has organised annual memorial lectures and public engagements highlighting the former President’s contribution to Ghana’s democracy.
Last year’s commemorative lecture was delivered by former Electoral Commission Chairperson Charlotte Osei, who spoke on the theme, “Atta Mills: A Case Study for the Fourth Republic.”
Anniversary activities
The Heritage announced that this year’s activities began with the July 15 press conference and will continue with the following events:
The 14th Anniversary Commemorative Lecture will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Kofi Ohene Konadu Auditorium of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
The keynote address will be delivered by renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, on the topic:
“President John Evans Atta Mills, Fourteen Years On.”
The lecture will be chaired by Ms. Hannah Serwaa Tetteh, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, who previously served as Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade and Industry.
Organisers described the choice of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who served under the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and Ms. Tetteh, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as symbolic of the bipartisan respect President Mills continues to command across Ghana’s political divide.
On Friday, July 24, 2026, exactly 14 years after his passing, a Wreath-Laying Ceremony and Memorial Service will be held at 9:00 a.m. at Asomdwee Park, the late President’s final resting place near Osu Castle.
President John Dramani Mahama will lay a wreath on behalf of the Republic of Ghana. Other wreaths will be laid on behalf of Parliament, Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills, the Mills family, the National Democratic Congress, the J.E.A. Mills Memorial Heritage, and the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.
The commemorative events will conclude on Saturday, July 25, 2026, with the President John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Theodosia Okoh National Hockey Pitch in Accra.
The organisers urged Ghanaians from all political, religious and social backgrounds to participate in the activities, stressing that the memorial is not only a tribute to a former President but also an opportunity to reflect on the values of humility, integrity, peace and national unity that characterised the life and leadership of the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
By Sampson Kumah Ifeetwube Taachaa Elvis
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