Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has established the critical role the maternal family plays in an Akan traditional setting, relating to issues such as the brouhaha surrounding the autopsy report of the late former President, John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills.
The Minister is questioning whether there is something someone is hiding for preventing one section of the family from having access to the autopsy report almost 12 years after the former President’s demise.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng who led the maternal family of the late Mills to thank President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House last week was answering questions from the media Wednesday, January 24, 2024, during a press conference about the development of Ekumfi.
It was also to address issues that had cropped up following last week’s courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House by the maternal family head of the late President Mills.
“Why is the Ebusuapanyin not aware. What are they hiding, and what is there?”
“If the President died in your arms in the castle which was in the morning, how come the Chief of Staff (CoS), then issued a statement that President Mills died at 1:30 pm at the 37 Military Hospital. When was he taken to the hospital as a corpse? So, who is telling the truth. There is a lot,” he quizzed.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng said there were facts and issues to be discussed and indicated he would go for the facts because there was a need to be truthful and straightforward and tell people in the face what really happened.
Reacting to claims by one of the brothers of the late Mills that a copy of the autopsy report was lodged with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mr. Asamoah Boateng said his checks at AMA has indicated that nothing like that happened.
“Those claiming to have the report must show it to the maternal family, in the Akan Tradition that is where the matter lies. Why is the Ebusuapanyin not aware. What are they hiding, and what is there?
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Closure has not been brought to the issue. People have called for coroner’s inquest; I won’t go there, but if that is what the people want, so be it,” he added.
He said the calls for a coroner’s inquest was in the right place and believes will settle the matter once and for all.
“For us as a nation it is important to set the records straight so that it does not happen again. President Mills was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, and his death should not be treated as such.
“I will support a coroner’s inquest into the death of Mills for the records to be set straight and for us to have as a guide, how we handle such incidents if they ever occurred again. Nobody will be put on trial. It is for us to know how the system works.
“What do we do as a nation when a sitting president dies? The inconsistencies must be dealt with,” he said.
“We need to be truthful and straightforward and tell people in the face. The rabble-rousing will not help. We should get to the facts. Settle everybody and bring closure to the event. It will guide all of us in the future. When things are not done properly, the ghost is restless,” he added.
