Why former President John Evans Atta Mills is trending

Former President John Evans Atta Mills has returned to social media trends since Saturday, February 21, 2026, following a remark by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, directed at the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The renewed attention comes amid criticism by the finance minister, who accused customs officials of negligence leading to significant revenue losses through smuggling.

At a meeting with customs officers, Dr Ato Forson expressed disappointment over what he described as serious lapses within the division.

“I am very disgusted about what happened yesterday and very, very, very disappointed,” he said.

“If you have a country with such magnitude of development challenges where unemployment is high, where schoolchildren are still studying under trees, where we struggle to fund Free Senior High School, where even basic amenities at certain hospitals are a challenge and you see revenue leakages of such magnitude coming from customs, you get disappointed.”

He further described the incident as “nothing short of organised crime,” adding, “It’s a group of citizens coming together to dupe a country.”

His comments quickly sparked online reactions, with many social media users sharing old videos of the late Professor Atta Mills making similar criticisms of customs officials during his

presidency.

Clips of the late president’s address have since resurfaced online, fueling conversations about revenue mobilisation, accountability and reforms within the customs division.

In April 2010, during an unannounced tour of revenue agencies, including the then Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Internal Revenue Service, the VAT Secretariat and the Ministry of Finance, the then President Mills openly expressed concern about alleged corruption within CEPS.

He stated that he had evidence of corrupt practices, including the abetment of cocoa smuggling by some officers.

Rare archival photo showing JJ, Atta Mills, and Nana Konadu together emerges

“I have pain in my heart because some of your colleagues are spoiling your good name,” he told officials. “I’m getting daily reports about acts of collusion, bribery, under-valuation, and worst of all, I have first-hand evidence of customs officers helping smugglers move goods across our borders. In one instance, I even have a video.”

Mills acknowledged that many officers were hardworking and selfless but warned that revenue leakages at the country’s largest revenue-mobilising agency had far-reaching consequences for the entire economy.

“When we took over, the huge budget deficit and domestic primary balance were in the negative, meaning we were consuming more than we were collecting,” he noted, urging officers to reflect on their responsibilities.

He emphasised that CEPS must live up to its standards and address under-collection of revenue. He also called on tax agencies to widen the tax net and ensure that all eligible income earners pay their taxes without fear or favour.

Responding to the President’s concerns in 2010, the Deputy Commissioner of CEPS in charge of Research and Monitoring at the time, Isaac Apronti, said some of the allegations were already under investigation.

He noted that one of the challenges in fighting corruption was that complainants often failed to provide supporting evidence. Nonetheless, he assured that the agency accepted the President’s challenge and would work to improve its performance.

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