The family of the late former President, John Evans Atta Mills says they are considering legal action against the Atta Mills Institute, founded and headed by Koku Anyidoho.

Brother of the late former President, Dr. Cadman Mills expressed concern about government’s decision to partner the Institute to refurbish his final resting place - the Asomdwoe Park - without the involvement of his family.

Speaking at a lecture to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death, he said Mr Anyidoho has exploited the refurbishment exercise to verbally abuse the family and its elders.

“They used this so-called refurbishment to promote themselves, to promote their institute and to promote their paymaster. That is not what Atta Mills stood for. In view of the fact that Atta Mills Memorial Institute is being used as an instrument to sow division, sow controversy, for self-promotion as an instrument to insult elders.

"In my capacity as the oldest sibling of Prof John Evans Atta Mills, as the person who Prof Mills designated in his will to be the executor of his will and the custodian of his legacy and now in my capacity of the Ebusua Panyin, the family has decided that we will contact our solicitors to make sure that we explore all avenues to stop the Atta-Mills Institute,” he divulged.

Background

Prior to this commemoration, there was a feud between the family of the late President and Mr Anyidoho over the maintenance of Asomdwee Park, his final resting place.

Brother of the Former President, Samuel Atta-Mills, had accused the Mr Anyidoho of tampering with the grave of their kin.

“Now that you have gone to touch it, is the bother still in that grave? What did you put in the grave? What kind of ritual did you perform over there? Why would you go and touch the grave without informing us? Who has the body now? And that is the question I want to ask Ghanaians. Do you want to make us go through grief every time?”

But, Mr Anyidoho, dismissed the claims by the family.

He explained that the state was restoring the dignity of the late president’s burial grounds.

“It was just a wooden box, an ugly wooden box that was used to cover the thing by John Mahama and we have removed it and replaced it with granite stone and what is Sammy Atta-Mills saying?”

Prof Atta Mills died on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, after serving for nearly four years as President of Ghana.

He is the first President in the history of Ghana to die while in office.