Nigerian papers mourn late Ghana President (corrected)

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Tuesday's sudden death of Ghana President John Atta Mills got a major play in most newspapers in Nigeria Wednesday.

Going by the reports, news of the death of the 68-year-old Ghana President was received with shock and sadness in Nigeria, which in 2010 also experienced the death of a sitting President, with the demise of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

President Mills passed away Tuesday afternoon at a military hospital in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, after taking ill earlier in the day.

''Ghana President Mills dies at 68'' was the headline in  THE NATION newspaper, which said: ''GHANA —and its friends— were thrown into mouning yesterday (Tuesday), with the sudden death of President John Fifi Attah Mills. He was 68.''

''Ghanaian President Atta Mills Dies At 68, VP Takes Over'' was the headline in the LEADERSHIP newspaper.

The paper reported: ''President John Atta Evans Mills of Ghana died unexpectedly at a military hospital yesterday (Tuesday) in Accra, less than five months to a presidential election holding on December 7. He celebrated his 68th birthday last Saturday.''

The THISDAY newspaper headlined its story, ''Ghanaian President, Atta Mills Passes On, Mahama Takes Over.''

''A few days after celebrating his 68th birthday, the President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills, died Tuesday at a military hospital in Ghana, the country’s Minister of Information, Fritz Baffour, announced.

''Atta Mills, who vied thrice for the presidency before he was elected in the keenest contest in the country's history, died in the afternoon, according to Baffour, who declined to give further details on the circumstances that led to the president’s death,'' THISDAY reported.

For its part, PUNCH newspaper, writing under the headline: ''Mills, Ghanaian President, dies of throat cancer'', said: ''Ghanaian President, John Mills, died on Tuesday, few hours after announcing to Parliament that he was leaving for Nigeria.''
-0- PANA SEG 25July2012