Policy Position on Law and Order
“We need to preserve the high morale integrity of our judiciary and law enforcement agencies by setting standards of fairness and justice that serves our national aspirations of freedom and justice. The courts should not be mortgaged to the highest bidder or those determined to subvert our hard won democracy by corruption, nepotism, tribalism, religious intolerance and greed.”
“When we create a just and fair society built on sound moral and ethical values that benefit of all citizens, we provide a critical basis for best practices, evenhandedness and good governance.”
“We will continue to place high price and premium on the training of the personnel and institutions that best provide us with guarantees for national cohesion, unity of purpose and protection of the fundamental rights of all persons, all we ask from them in return is that they aspire to the highest code of conduct of moral and legal integrity”
“We will continue to support the equipping of the courts for administrative efficiency, the training of the judiciary in ICT for the expeditious trial of cases”
“Every government must without bias ensure the lives and property of all citizens by the law-enforcement agencies of the state, without regard to social class, political party orientation, religious persuasion or ethnic origin. More especially, it must be the fair duty of any government to investigate any crime with a view to identifying and prosecuting the perpetuators of such crimes”
“Judicial abuse of human rights and the prosecution of political opponents with indecent haste and abuse of due process undermine the very fabric and credibility of the judicial system in Ghana . Violations of Citizen’s Rights and the slow review of cases where clearly affected persons appealed against their sentences continue to be a source of grave concern for me.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Policy Position on Trade and Commerce
“I will improve the Ghanaian worker’s income and well being and offer a solid foundation for sustained prosperity through national development.”
“To broaden and diversify the Ghanaian economy, I will provide the enabling environment of political stability, a transparent public and private sector collaboration, business leadership, and requisite legal regimes for arbitration and resolution of business disputes as well as a well trained and motivated workforce coupled with the appropriate tax incentives and access to credit provide the key ingredients for a vibrant economic growth in trade industry.”
“As we invest in our human potential and capital to compete with the world on the global market, we must be guided by the need to build both human and industrial capacity and competence so as to move our economy from its primary nature to attractive and relevant products and markets capable of holding our own for uniqueness, innovation quality in the new technological age and global dynamics. We need to add value to the way we do business and network with our competitors.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Policy on Support to the Private Sector
“It is important to underscore the key role that the private sector should play in our national economic growth strategy. In deed, several intervening factors must be coordinated and supported by the right policies with clear targets set. We must grow leaders and systems of excellence in the private sector to serve as replicable modules or models.”
“Government will create meaningful domestic investment and credit and infrastructure banks to promote export and improved services in the private sector. We will facilitate the actualization of the true Golden Age of Business by targeted private sector investment and savings.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Statements on Youth and Leadership
“Our commitment to the youth of Ghana must be based on enshrining in their hearts and minds a culture of honest leadership and sound moral values that will sustain them in their quest to excel in life in all circumstances on merit and competence. We must be their role models of excellence and integrity.”
“The youth of Ghana must strive for excellence in every achievable endeavor by setting honest goals based on a national sense of fair-play, virtue and industry.”
“The future leaders of Ghana must be imbued with a desire for excellence which derives in part from a solid and robust educational system that guarantees equal and fair opportunities for all citizens to obtain basic and relevant educational skills that provide them with the requisite knowledge, aptitude and attitude to contribute as capable and competent partners in our national development.”
“Institutions charged with the training and nurturing of the youth and workers of our dear nation must be equipped and staffed with the relevant educational facilities, equipment and orientation. In deed, the vision of upgrading all institutions to move our human development and training agenda to a level where we train our human capital with the requisite skills and know-how to achieve her development goals cannot be over- emphasized.”
“Strategic Leadership and Industrial Management Training must form a vital challenge to our dear nation for we must begin to identify, train and groom winners and leaders for our industrial and economic emancipation. Let us invest in our youth directly by providing them with opportunities for excellence and achievement. To this end our tertiary institutions, youth associations and civil societies will be directly charged to provide quality and quantifiable results to meet our strategic manpower needs.”
“Youth team building and group dynamics strategies that foster healthy competition will be encouraged at regional, district and community levels to help address development challenges of decentralized capacity building for social and economic growth.”
“Youth empowerment schemes that provide catalysts for employment generation and the fulfillment of youth aspirations will be researched and promoted with a view to giving our future leaders hope and a sense of personal and collective achievement.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Views on ICT and E Governance
“The need for strategic management options in ICT to be adapted to accelerate good governance and the dynamics of doing business in the new global market cannot be over emphasized. In deed, my vision provides the need to provide leadership in policy and networking with both the public and private sector operatives to enhance the world of inter-connectivity using all the modern cost effective opportunities that ICT provides.”
“ Ghana ’s accelerated development programme will require the implementation of a robust and major initiative to catapult social, business and economic activity.”
“To harness the full ICT potential of Ghana , my vision is to accelerate the effective use and application of governance, industry, business and trade by moving the Ghanaian society into an ICT age. This will open limitless opportunities for all citizens to access, utilize and share information technology to promote efficiency in E Business, E Trade, E Medicine, E Education, E Governance, etc.”
“One of the fastest moving economic industries and foreign exchange earners in many economies is the huge potential and opportunities of ICT. As a country requiring accelerated growth and investment ICT provides that single ingredient and opportunity and I will do everything in my power to move Ghana forward.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Policy Positions on Labor
“I strongly believe that the fundamental rights of all workers and employers need to be respected regardless of their ethnic, social or religious persuasions. Workers and employers will be encouraged to build bargaining rights and strategic corporate plans with a view to guaranteeing team spirit, trust, transparency, fair wages and high productivity.”
“Work place safety and environmental protection will be key concerns that will not be compromised for profit and exploitation, while reliable and sustainable insurance and retirement schemes will be pursued to ensure that all workers benefit from their just labour and deserved entitlements.”
“I will forge and maintain transparent systems of dialogue and arbitration for collective bargaining rights of all workers with a view to promoting a healthy and vibrant industrial climate for accelerated national economic development and growth.”
“My commitment to the rationalization of the pay and wage structure of all workers with a view to providing equity and fair wages will be pursued in tandem with social safety net schemes to consolidate wages and social benefits to workers.”
“Special training and human capacity building schemes will be initiated to address regional and decentralized labour and investment challenges across the country.”
“Conflict resolution, industrial peace and corporate growth will be key concerns while individual rights and opportunities will be central to generating worker confidence in the public and private sectors.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Views on Democracy and the Funding of Political Parties
“My position on the funding of political parties is informed by the deep respect I have for preserving the fundamentals of all citizens to use the electoral system to freely, fairly and genuinely determine who should lead, govern and administer the political fortunes of our dear and well endowed country.”
“In this regard, nothing should be done to so undermine the trust and confidence that our constitution reposes in the independence and fairness of the Electoral Commission through the perpetuation of electoral fraud, manipulation of the electoral processes and the abuse of incumbency of any ruling government or political party.”
“We should continue to reform, and seek to incorporate best practices of electoral systems globally to enhance the transparency and credibility of our electoral systems.”
“We should encourage our political parties, civil society and our development partners to urge all political parties to continue to rise above short sighted parochial solutions and interests with regard to the challenge and issue of funding political parties in Ghana . We must develop an even playing field for all parties in Ghana as a vital and sustaining virtue in cultivating confidence of all citizens in our political dispensation and electoral process.”
“Funding of the Electoral Commission itself must be so structured as to provide resources for civil society groups to independently monitor electoral process and feed back observations to the IPAC for appropriate remedial action. Funding must enhance the establishment of credible and continuous dialogue and debate of the political manifestos and mandates of all political parties.”
“Funding of Political Parties must also provide platforms for dialogue and interaction between political party functionaries and civil society on a continuous basis to deepen constructive engagement of all development partners.”
“We should enhance dialogue on the need for government to enhance our democratic processes by fashioning a funding mechanism and financial administration system for political parties based on agreed criteria that will help political parties to mature into real political partners of development and advocates for economic growth and national cohesion.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Position on International Relations
“ Ghana as a sovereign state has come a long way in providing leadership in Africa, the Commonwealth and the United Nations as a country committed to the respect of the rights of all nations to fair and equal opportunity for growth and development.”
“In the global economy, Ghana is well placed to forge strategic partnerships that will enhance Ghana ’s competitiveness in international trade and commerce. In the areas of supporting peace keeping initiatives and providing dedicated personnel for such duties Ghana will continue to provide such services. We will also provide opportunities for the training of human capital for our international neighbours through exchanges and attachment training.”
“We are committed to upholding the numerous international conventions that guarantee our citizens rights and liberties as enshrined in the many international laws and covenants. We will endeavour to sustain this commitment by further illustrating that Ghana has the capacity to provide leadership in these areas through international collaboration for the policing of these laws and conventions.”
“We will guarantee fairness and transparency in all matters relating to trade and commerce and fashion international collaboration with both global and international partners so as to foster good corporate and international relations.”
“As much as possible the rights and privileges of all international partners will be protected with a view to promoting mutual interests and liberties.”
John Evans Atta Mills
Statement on the Poor, Vulnerable and Disadvantaged
“As part of our social democratic principles and collective responsibilities to the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged, we will endeavour to support and maintain social safety net programmes to alleviate and empower this social grouping with a view to enhancing their chances of doing more than merely surviving to a better life and prospects for national empowerment.”
Professor Atta Mills
