Ill Health of President Mills occupies the attention of strife-laden Ghana

Amid chaotic security situation across seven out of ten regions, Ghanaians have found themselves being occupied with the state of health of President John Evans Atta Mills. The president has been heavily criticised in the last few days for failing to speak out against the pockets of violence across the country. Ghana is going through a period of instability both on the security and economic fronts and there is a feeling of pessimism and despondency among the people.  The calls for his comments became more prominent following the clashes which claimed three lives at Hohoe in the Volta Region. Sources at the Castle earlier told the media the president had been taking some days off to rest due apparently to temporary incapacitation caused by infirmity.The president left Accra June 16, 2012 evening for urgent medical attention in the United States described by officials as 'a routine medical check-up'. 

This follows days of rumours about his ill health in recent times. The President of Ghana was last seen in public performing official function at the Allied Air crash scene near Kotoka Airport on Sunday June 3 2012 and is now officially declared temporary incapacitated. In other words, President Mills will be unable to do his official duties for the unknown future. 

The president did not indicate how long he will be staying out other than saying a "few days" and an assurance that there was no cause for alarm stressing that the check-up is a normal one. It would be recalled that President Mills spent almost the whole of the last quarter of 2011 in the US on the pretext of taking his vacation interspersed with official assignments. Ghanaians were suspicious and there were claims that he left the Presidential jet on a tarmac in New York and secretly travelled to Cuba for cancer treatment. Officially President Mills has told Ghanaians he is suffering from sinus. It is however doubtful if his condition is due to sinus and has become a subject of speculation for a long time. According to one of the Wikileaks transcripts quoting the Deputy Minister of Tourism but then the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy General Secretary, Mohammed Baba Jamal, President Mills is dying of throat cancer. Mr. Jamal added that Professor Mills will never make public admission of his diseased throat as it is considered 'unfavourable and untenable practice in African politics' to disclose a politician's sick status.

Article 69 clause 1 subsection (c) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic Ghana states that the President shall be removed from office if he is found, in accordance with the provisions among other things "to be incapable of performing the functions of his office by reason of infirmity of body or mind."

I am sure you the reader must be wondering why quoting this constitutional provision when President Mills is only going to the USA for a routine medical check up. Well, for your information, it is usual for the casual observer but a serious sign for any political animal. This seriousness arises out of three things emanating from statement released by President Mills regarding this trip. Firstly, routine medical check-up, secondly staying 'few days' and thirdly 'no cause for alarm'. The fact of the matter is that our President has always denied ever going to the USA for medical reasons so how can Mills now officially announce that he is going there for 'a routine medical check-up'? Anything said to be routine refers to regularity with well defined periodicity and this is where the second matter raises eyebrows. If indeed Mills is going for routine medical check-up, how come he sounded unsure of his duration abroad? If it is routine, then he has been doing this over time now and must be accustomed to a certain timeframe within which this medical treatment is conducted. And so why the unsolicited assurance that there is no cause for alarm? Is there something he is not telling Ghanaians? Is he incapacitated and therefore unable to perform his official functions?

Mills with blackened palm said 

to be due to effects of medication

This disease is cancerous tumours that develop in the throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) or tonsils. Throat cancer can also affect the piece of cartilage (epiglottis) that acts as a lid for the windpipe. It is attributed to heavy smoking, chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol use. Treatment for throat cancer often causes complications that may include speech problems such as mispronunciation of words like the famous ecomini instead of economy.

It would be recalled that Guinea-Bissau's President Malam Bacai Sanha died on Monday 9 January 2012 after a long period in a Paris hospital aged 64.

Will President Mills be capable of completing the remaining six months of his tenure of office considering the demands of electioneering campaign for a second term bid and its toll on one's health? Only time will tell!