(CNN) -- The president of the West African nation of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills, has died, his chief of staff said in a statement Tuesday.
He died at a military hospital Tuesday afternoon a few hours after becoming ill, according to the statement, signed by John Henry Martey Newman. The vice president will address the nation soon, the statement said.
He was 68.
Opinion: Mills' election victory was a 'victory for democracy in Africa'
Mills was a former law professor and a tax expert. He was Ghana's vice president from 1997 to 2000.
Before his political career, he taught at the University of Ghana and also was a visiting lecturer at Temple University in Pennsylvania and Leiden University in Holland.
Mills ran for president unsuccessfully in 2000 and 2004 beforenarrowly winning a runoff in 2009.
U.S. President Barack Obama met with Mills when he visited Ghana in July 2009. Obama praised the country as a model for democracy and stability when Mills visited Washington this year.
"Ghana has become a wonderful success story economically on the continent," Obama said. "In part because of the initiatives of President Mills, you've seen high growth rates over the last several years. Food productivity and food security is up. There's been strong foreign investment."
Part of a former British colony, Ghana was among the first African countries to gain independence, in 1957. It endured a series of coups before a military dictator, Jerry Rawlings, took power in 1981. Rawlings led Ghana through a transition to democracy about 10 years later.
Vice President John Dramani Mahama, 53, is a former member of Ghana's Parliament who has served as director of communication for the National Democratic Congress party.
ACCORDING TO CNN
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G
hana's President John Atta Mills has died at the age of 68. The Ghanaian minister of information, Fritz Baffour, confirmed the president's death in a phone interview with VOA.
The official Ghana News Agency, quoting a statement from the office of the presidency, reports that Mills died Tuesday at a military hospital in the capital, Accra.
The statement said the president died a "sudden and untimely death," a few hours after falling ill.
There was no immediate word on the nature of his illness. Ghana's constitution calls for Vice President John Dramani Mahama to be sworn in as his replacement.
Mills oversaw a generally peaceful and prosperous time for his country during his one term in office.
He became the country's third democratically-elected president in 2009 after defeating ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in a run-off election.
In July 2009, President Barack Obama visited Ghana and proclaimed the country a model for other African countries.
ACCORDING TO VOA News
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John Evans Fifii Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) was the third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 election.[1] He was Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 under PresidentJerry Rawlings, and stood unsuccessfully in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He died on 24 July 2012 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.[2][3]
Mills died on 24 July, 2012 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, two days after his 68th birthday.[11] Though the cause of death was not immediately released, he had been suffering from throat cancer and had recently been to the U.S. for medical reasons.[3] His Vice-President John Dramani Mahamawas sworn in at 18:00 on the same day. In accordance with the constitution, Mahama tenure will expire at the same time Mills' was due to end, by the end of the year just prior to an election.[12]
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Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mills is dead. This was confirmed by a press statement signed by the Chief of Staff, John Henry Martey Newman.
The statement said: "It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the President of the Republic of Ghana - His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
"The death occurred at the 37 Military Hospital this afternoon while receiving medical attention after being taken ill a few hours earlier.
"The Vice President will broadcast to the nation in due course",the statement added.
President Atta Mills happens to be the first sitting President to have died in the history of this Country. He has been in Office for three and a half years.
President Mills died this
afternoon at the 37 Military Hospital.
The President died while receiving medical attention after being taken ill a few hours earlier.
ACCORDING TO GBC
The statement said: "It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the President of the Republic of Ghana - His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
"The death occurred at the 37 Military Hospital this afternoon while receiving medical attention after being taken ill a few hours earlier.
"The Vice President will broadcast to the nation in due course",the statement added.
President Atta Mills happens to be the first sitting President to have died in the history of this Country. He has been in Office for three and a half years.
President Mills died this
afternoon at the 37 Military Hospital.
The President died while receiving medical attention after being taken ill a few hours earlier.
ACCORDING TO GBC
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Ghana's President John Atta Mills dies
President Atta Mills came to power in 2009
Ghana's President John Atta Mills, who was suffering from throat cancer, has died in hospital in the capital, Accra.
A statement from his office said the 68-year-old died a few hours after being taken ill, but did not give details.
"It is with a heavy heart... that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana," the statement said.
Mr Atta Mills had ruled the West African country since 2009.
The BBC's Sammy Darko, who is at the military hospital in Accra, says Mr Atta Mills' voice has been degenerating in the last few months.
'Rumours'
According to a presidential aide, the leader had complained of pains on Monday evening and died on Tuesday afternoon, Reuters reports.
He had recently returned to Ghana after visiting the US for medical checks, the news agency says.
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama was to be sworn in as president at 1800 GMT, in line with Ghana's constitution.
Journalist Elizabeth Ohene, a former BBC editor and member of Ghana's former government, said she had not believed the news at first, as there had been many false reports about his death.
"For the past three or four years there's been news he's been unwell and rumours of his death - twice - and he appeared with grim humour to say they were exaggerated, insisting he was well," she told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
Mr Atta Mills came to power after narrowly winning against a candidate from the then governing New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, in polls in December 2008.
His predecessor, John Kufuor, had to step down after having served the maximum permitted two four-year terms.
It was Mr Mills' third attempt to win the presidency, after defeat in 2000 and 2004 to Mr Kufuor.
He was to run for a second term in December.
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Happy birthday Wizzy!
