He said the late Ghanaian leader was also a unifier whose commitment to superintend over a peaceful nation endeared him to the general Ghanaian public hence the accolade ‘asomdwe hene’ to wit king of peace.
President Mahama in a tribute at a burial service of Prof. Mills at the Independence Square in Accra Thursday, underscored the need for Ghanaians to put aside their partisan differences and unite for the general good of the country.
Tens of thousands of Ghanaians filled up the venue for the service, turning the Square into a sea of black and red, the traditional Ghanaian mourning colours. Also present, were scores of heads of state and other foriegn dignitaries.
They included delegations from Nigeria, Togo, Sudan, France, Swaziland, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Guinea and Senegal.
President Mahama, who extolled the qualities of the fallen leader, said he was humble, honest and peace loving for which reason he urged Ghanaians to immortalize him by forging ahead for the common purpose of moving Ghana forward.
“Let us honour our beloved late president with a sense of unity and purpose, resilience, determination and resolve to build a prosperous nation,” President Mahama said and implored the citizenry to see the sad moment as a time for inspiration and love for one another.
“President Mills was a man of God who abhorred political antagonism and we shall do him a lot of good if we avoid divisive tendencies in our political activities,” President Mahama advised.
President Maham called for unity that would continue to place Ghana above its peers on the African Continent.
To further honour the memory of late President Mills, he called on Ghanaians to pledge to be of service to the nation and also promote tolerance and understanding among themselves.
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel K. Asante, who preached the sermon on the theme, “The futality of life without God,” said the late president was God fearing and indeed lived a life worthy of emulation because of his modesty and selfless leadership.
He described Prof. Mills as a man of honour who exhibited kindness and was able to effectively blend power and service, coupled with intelligence and dedicated service with the presidency.
He quoted Ecclesiastes where King Solomon considered life to be too short, no matter how long one lived, and said, life was transient and delicate for which reason, he asked the congregation of mourners not to place their desire for worldly things over their spiritual lives.
Most Rev. Asante entreated all to be wise and educated in the Lord adding that “don’t depend on your own accomplishment for life is a journey and we must be minded that life without God is futile.”
He said the late President in his modesty, served his people sacrificially, an example he urged the citizenry to emulate.
“President Mills has transited to his eternal destination conscious of the fact that the human life on earth is fleeting. Let us be consoled that God in whom we live would console us,” Rev. Asante added.
He called on the political leadership to engage in politics with civility stressing that “even in politics we are partnering with God”, a quality, he indicated, the late president stood for.
Daily Graphic