Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the man who died in office as Ghana’s President yesterday afternoon, knew that he could die any time and didn’t shy away from commenting on that possibility.

Prof. Mills had much to say about his possible death when political opponents made his health condition an issue in the run-up to the December 7 polls in which he was to have sought a second term mandate, having beaten Nana Konadu, wife of his estranged political godfather, former President Jerry John Rawlings, during last year’s congress of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Transport & Business Express quotes Mills as having said: “If you ask me when I am going to die, I am going to disappoint you because I am not God. Even my doctors cannot tell you. I will continue to soldier on until it pleases the Good lord to call me home.”

Mills, who had a history of throat cancer, eventually died of cardiac arrest yesterday within two hours of being rushed to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.

Mills, 68, took office on January 7, 2009 after defeating the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 election.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama was last night sworn-in as the new President.