John Evans Atta MILLS, President of Ghana
Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was born on July 21st, 1944, at Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana and hails from Ekumfi Otuam in the Mfantsiman East Constituency of the Central Region. He launched a lifelong interest in acquiring knowledge at Achimota Secondary School, where he obtained his General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level in 1963. To further his education, he attended the University of Ghana, Legon, where he received a bachelor's degree and professional certificate in Law (1967). While earning a PhD in Law from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, John Evans Atta Mills was selected as a Fulbright scholar at the equally prestigious Stanford Law School in the United States of America. At age 27, he was awarded his PhD after successfully defending his doctoral thesis in the area of taxation and economic development. Prof. Mills' first formal teaching assignment was as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghana, Legon where he spent close to twenty five years imparting knowledge (as well as other institutions of higher learning) rising from lecturer to senior lecturer then to associate professor. His contribution to intellectual development is remarkable having served on numerous boards and committees. During the almost 30 years of teaching and researching Prof. Mills served as a visiting lecturer and professor at a number of educational institutions worldwide and presented research papers at symposiums and conferences throughout the world. Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2008 General Elections, is a man of high integrity, humble, a liberal minded person who consults and peace is his watch-word. He is known in Ghana as "Asomdweehene" which literally means the "King of Peace". He is an academician, sportsman and an astute politician. John Evans Atta Mills is the only person who has ran for President on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for three consecutive times in the history of the Party. He won the Presidency on the third attempt in the 2008 general elections. (December 7th & 28th,2008 and January 2nd 2009 -28th December,2008 and January 2nd 2009 elections were Presidential run-offs) Publications Professor Mills who campaigned on "CHANGE" during the 2008 elections has more than a dozen publications to his credit. These include: Taxation of Periodical or Deferred Payments arising from the Sale of Fixed Capital (1974), Exemption of Dividends from Income taxation: A critical Appraisal (1977), Report of the Tax Review Commission, Ghana, parts 1,2&3, (1977) and Ghana's Income Tax laws and the Investor. (An inter-faculty lecture published by the University of Ghana). His expertise goes well beyond the classroom, and is evidenced by the various examiner positions he held with finance related institutions throughout Ghana (i.e. Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Bankers, Ghana Tax Review Commission). As an advocate for recreation and an active sportsman and sports fan, Professor Mills has supported the academic community and the nation at large through his contribution to the Ghana Hockey Association, National Sports Council of Ghana, and Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. The Law Professor loves sports and he is a keen hockey player and once played for the national team and is still member of the Veterans Hockey Team He equally keeps his body in shape by swimming, spending close to two hours every day when he has time. The following are a few of his activities and projects:
Member of the Ghana Stock Exchange Council
Board of Trustees, Mines Trust
Management Committee Member of, Commonwealth Administration of Tax Experts, United Nations Ad Hoc Group of Experts in International Cooperation in Tax Matters, and United Nations Law and Population Project
A Study on Equipment Leasing in Ghana
Casebook preparation on Ghana's Income Tax Review of Ghana's Double Tax Agreement with the U.K
A track record of financial knowledge and strong professional credentials led to several important appointments:
In 1988, John Evans Atta Mills became the acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service of Ghana and named Commissioner in September 1996.
In 1997, Prof. Mills received another important appointment when on January 7, 1997, he was sworn-in as the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.
In 2002, Prof. Mills was a visiting scholar at the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Canada.
In December 2002, John Evans Atta Mills was elected by his party to be its flag bearer and led them into the 2004 elections.
John Evans Atta Mills was reelected in December 2006 by an overwhelming 81.4%, beating three other contestants, to once again have the mandate to lead his party into the 2008 general elections.
January 3rd 2009-Professor Mills declared President-Elect in the 2008 elections. He had 4,521,032 votes representing 50.32 percent beating his rival Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who had 4,480,446 votes representing 49.77 percent
January 7th, 2009 Professor Mills sworn in as the Third President of the Republic of Ghana.
He is married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, an educationist, and has a son, Sam Kofi Atta Mills.
John Agyekum Kufuor, Former President of Ghana
Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor was born on December 8, 1938 in Kumasi, Ghana. He attended Prempeh College for his Secondary Education, where he passed at the top of his class. He enrolled at Lincoln Inn, London, and was called to the Bar in 1961 at the age of 22.
He then entered Oxford University where he passed his Honours BA degree in 1964 in Economics, Philosophy and Politics. He was subsequently confirmed, in accord with Oxford traditions, with the Master's degree by the University.
Both sides of Kufuor's parentage come from distinguished families whose members include Chiefs, Professionals and Politicians. J. A. Kufuor is happily married to Theresa (Nee Mensah). The marriage is blessed with five children. Mr. Kufuor and his family belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Kufuor comes to the Presidency with impressive Public service credentials, spanning over thirty years. In 1967, he was appointed Chief Legal Officer and Town Clerk (City Manager) of Kumasi, the Second largest City of Ghana. He was a member of the 1968-69 and the 1979 Constituent Assemblies that drafted the Constitutions of the Second and Third Republics respectively. In addition he was a Founding Member of the Progress Party (PP) in 1969, the Popular Front Party (PFP) in 1979 and is a Founding Member of the New Patriotic Party(NPP). He has twice been elected as a Member of Parliament, during the Second and Third Republics. He has also been in political detention on two occasions as a result of military coups that overthrew the Second and Third Republics.
He has been a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and in this capacity, he represented Ghana on several occasions. From 1969 to December, 1971, he led Ghana's Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Ministerial Meetings in Addis Ababa, and the Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Lusaka, Zambia. In 1970, he led the Ghanaian Delegation to Moscow in the Former Soviet Union, Prague (Former Czechoslovakia), and Belgrade (Yugoslavia) to discuss Ghana's indebtedness to these countries.
As the Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Deputy Opposition Leader of the Popular Front Party (PFP) Parliamentary Group during the Third Republic, he was invited to accompany President Limann to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit Conference in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He was also a member of the parliamentary Delegation that visited the United States of America(USA) in 1981 to talk to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on Ghana's economic problems.
In January, 1982, the leadership of the All People's Party (APP), which was an alliance of all the opposition parties, advised some leading members, including the Deputy Leader of the Alliance, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, the General Secretary, Dr. Obed Asamoah and Mr. J. A. Kufuor to accept an invitation from the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC)to serve in what was purported to be a National Government. Mr. Kufuor was appointed the Secretary for Local Government in this new Government.
As a Secretary for Local Government, he authored the Local Government Policy Guidelines that were to be the foundation of the current decentralized District Assemblies. He resigned within seven months of acceptance of the position after having satisfied himself that the PNDC Government was not the national Government that it promised to be. He was particularly uncomfortable with the brutality, intolerance and abuse of human rights that characterized the PNDC government.
On April 20th 1996, Mr. J. A. Kufuor was nominated by 1034 out of 2000 delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) drawn from all the 200 Constituencies of the Country to run for the President of Ghana on December 10, 1996. After campaigning for less than nine months, Mr. Kufuor polled almost 40% of the popular votes. On October 23, 1998, he was re-nominated by the New patriotic Party not only to run again for President but also to officially assume the position of Leader of the Party.
Mr. J.A. Kufuor won the presidential elections in Dec. 2000 and was sworn in as president on January 7 2001.
President Kufuor again won elections in December 2004, and was sworn into office for a second four-year-term from January 7, 2005 to January 2008.
