Profile: John Dramani Mahama

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Accra, May 7, GNA - Mr. John Dramani Mahama, Running mate to Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Flag bearer of National Democratic Congress (NDC) was born 49 years ago. He is married to Lordina and has seven children.

Mr. Mahama started school at the Achimota Primary School and went on to secondary school at the Ghana Secondary School in Tamale. He proceeded thereafter to the University of Ghana, Legon, where he obtained a BA degree in History in 1981.

In 1986, he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon. He also undertook further Postgraduate Studies in Social Psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow in 1988. Mr. Mahama was employed as Information Officer at the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Ghana from 1991 to 1995. He moved on to join the non-governmental organization, Plan International, as Sponsorship and Grants Manager in the Ghana Country Office from 1995 to 1996. He was elected to his first term as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bole-Bamboi Constituency on the ticket of the NDC in December 1996. Mr. Mahama served as Deputy Minister of Communications from April 1997 to November 1998 and then served as the substantive Minister of Communications from November 1998 to January 2001. He acted as Chairman of the National Communications Authority, the regulatory agency for the telecommunications and Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector from November 1998 to January 2001.

Mr. Mahama was re-elected MP for Bole-Bamboi Constituency in December 2000 and again won re-election to a third term in December 2004. He was Spokesman on Communications for the Minority in Parliament between 2001 and 2004.
From 2005 to date Mr. Mahama has been Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. He has, from 1997 to date, also been a member of the following committees of Parliament - Appointments Committee, Communications Committee and the Standing Orders Committee of Parliament.
He has been a Member of the Pan African Parliament based in Pretoria, South Africa from 2004 to date and is the Chairman of the West African Caucus in the Pan African Parliament. Mr. Mahama is a member of the Transport, Industry, Energy, Communications, Science and Technology Committee of the Pan African Parliament as well as a member of the European and Pan African Parliaments' Ad-hoc Committee on Co-operation. He has been Director of Communications for the NDC from 2002 to date and a member of the election observer and monitoring team for the Zimbabwe Presidential elections in 2002. 07 May 08

The Mills Story

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Detailed Biography

John Evans Atta Mills, the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2008 General Elections, 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.

John Evans Atta Mills launched a lifelong interest in acquiring knowledge at Achimota Secondary School, where he completed the Advanced Level Certificate 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. He spent close to twenty five years imparting knowledge at Legon and other institutions of higher learning, and rose in position from lecturer to senior lecturer to associate professor. His contribution to the University was remarkable having served on numerous boards and committees.

Also, during the almost thirty years of teaching and researching, Prof. Mills traveled as a visiting lecturer and professor at a number of educational institutions worldwide and presented research papers at symposiums and conferences throughout the world.

Publications

John Evans Atta Mills 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, John Evans Atta 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. Indeed, he is a keen hockey player and once played for the national team and is still member of the Veterans Hockey Team.

He is also a lover of the pool and spends close to two hours when he has the time, swimming, as one of his ways of exercising.

Other Activities and Projects The following are a few of his activities and projects:

1. Member of the Ghana Stock Exchange Council

2. Board of Trustees, Mines Trust

3. 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

4. A Study on Equipment Leasing in Ghana

5. Casebook preparation on Ghana's Income Tax Review of Ghana's Double Tax Agreement with the U.K

6. 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 flagbearer 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.

John Evans Atta Mills continues to contribute to the development of good governance in the Republic of Ghana. He is married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, an educationist, and has a 19 year old son, Sam Kofi Atta Mills.

Mills - Mahama, NFP Mills - Mahama, NFP

Profile: John Dramani Mahama

The Mills Story