'You were right, I was wrong' – Charlotte Osei recalls humble moment with Atta Mills

Former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei, has recounted what she described as a rare act of humility by the late President John Evans Atta Mills, calling it a powerful lesson in leadership that listens.

Speaking at the 13th John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Lecture held on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Mrs Osei said that during her time in public service under Professor Mills’s administration as chairperson of the National Commission on Civic Education (NNCE), she once challenged a presidential decision she believed was wrong.

According to her, the President responded calmly and, months later, privately admitted she had been right.

“We argued as lawyers, and he told me, ‘When you’re president, you see things very differently,’” she told the audience. “Eventually, in one of the matters, months later, I got a message from him, he said, ‘You were right, and I was wrong.’ That was an emotional moment for me and a great lesson in leadership.”

Mrs Osei, who was appointed by President Mills in 2011 as Chair of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), shared the experience to highlight the late President’s integrity and openness to dissent; qualities she said are increasingly rare in today’s public leadership.

“Power that fears criticism is already bankrupt,” she said, adding that Professor Mills’s willingness to admit error, even in private, revealed the strength behind his quiet leadership style.

The memorial lecture, held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), was organised by the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Heritage.

The event drew government officials, academics, former appointees, and members of the diplomatic community to reflect on the legacy of the late President.

Mrs Osei delivered her address under the theme “Atta Mills: A Case Study for the Fourth Republic”, speaking from the perspective of a former student and mentee. She described Professor Mills as someone whose humility and moral clarity remained consistent, whether as a teacher, president, or private citizen.

She said his ability to remain grounded while holding high office had a lasting impact on her own approach to public service.

“In a world of noise, integrity is a silent superpower,” she said. “Leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room, but the most thoughtful.”

Professor John Evans Atta Mills died in office on July 24, 2012. He is remembered for his calm demeanour, democratic ideals, and insistence on inclusive governance.