| John Atta-Mills | |
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3rd President of Ghana
(4th Republic) |
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|---|---|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 January 2009 |
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| Vice President | John Dramani Mahama |
| Preceded by | John Kufuor |
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2nd Vice President of Ghana
(4th Republic) |
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| In office 7 January 1997 – 7 January 2001 |
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| President | Jerry Rawlings |
| Preceded by | Kow Nkensen Arkaah |
| Succeeded by | Aliu Mahama |
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| Born | 21 July 1944 Tarkwa, Gold Coast |
| Political party | National Democratic Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Ernestina Naadu Mills |
| Residence | Golden Jubilee House |
| Profession | University professor of law |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Website | [1] |
John Evans Atta Mills (born 21 July 1944[1]) is the current President of Ghana. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo by 50.23%–49.77% in the 2008 election.[2] He was Vice President from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and he stood unsuccessfully in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
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Early life, education and academic career
Mills was born in Tarkwa, located in the Western Region of Ghana.[1] He was educated at Achimota School, where he completed the Advanced Level Certificate in 1963, and the University of Ghana, Legon, where he received a bachelor's degree and professional certificate in law in 1967.
While earning a Ph.D in Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, Mills was selected for a sojourn, as a Fulbright scholar at Stanford Law School in the United States.[2][3]
Mills earned a Ph.D at SOAS, after completing his doctoral thesis in the area of taxation and economic development. 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 teaching at Legon and other institutions of higher learning, and rose in position from lecturer to senior lecturer to associate professor, and served on numerous boards and committees. Additionally, he traveled worldwide as a visiting lecturer and professor at educational institutions such as the LSE, and presented research papers at symposiums and conferences[3]
Publications
Mills has produced several publications, including[3]:
- Taxation of Periodical or Deferred Payments arising from the Sale of Fixed Capital (1974)
- Exemption of Dividends from Income taxation: A critical Appraisal (1977) In: Review of Ghana Law, 1997, 9: 1, pag.38-47
- Report of the Tax Review Commission, Ghana, parts 1,2&3 (1977)
- Ghana's Income Tax laws and the Investor. (An inter-faculty lecture published by the University of Ghana)
- Ghana's new investment code : an appraisal (1993) In: University of Ghana Law Journal, 1993, vol. 18, pag.1-29
He has held examiner positions with finance-related institutions in Ghana, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Bankers, and Ghana Tax Review Commission.[3]
Contribution in sports
He has contributed to the Ghana Hockey Association, National Sports Council of Ghana, and Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club. He enjoys hockey and swimming, and once played for the national hockey team (he is still a member of the Veterans Hockey Team).[3]
Presidency
On 21 December 2006, Mills was overwhelmingly elected by the NDC as its candidate for the 2008 presidential election with a majority of 81.4% (1,362 votes), far ahead of his opponents, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, and Eddie Annan.[3][4] In 2008, he was elected president of Ghana, after a keenly contested three round election.
Other activities and projects
Mills has been involved in various activities and projects such as[3]:
- 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 UK
- 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.
Personal life
He is married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, an educator and has a 19 year old son, Sam Kofi Atta Mills with Ruby Addo.
He is a good friend to Pastor T. B. Joshua of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations in Lagos, Nigeria and regularly visits his church. He said following his inauguration that T.B. Joshua had prophesied to him there would be three elections, the results would be released in January, and he would emerge victorious. [5][6][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b Profile of Atta Mills, Ghanareview.com.
- ^ a b Kokutse, Francis (2009-01-03). "Opposition leader wins presidency in Ghana". Associated Press.
- ^ a b c d e f g "John Atta Mills & John Mahama - The Change We Deserve". National Democratic Congress. http://www.attamills2008.com/site/?page_id=2. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
- ^ "NDC CONGRESS RESULTS-Prof Wins", Modernghana.com, December 22, 2006.
- ^ Ateba, Simon (2009-01-12). "‘T.B. Joshua Predicted My Victory’—Ghana’s Leader". PM News. http://thepmnews.com/2009/01/12/tb-joshua-predicted-my-victory-%E2%80%94ghana%E2%80%99s-leader.
- ^ Babalola, Ebun (2009-01-20). "The Synagogue: When President Attah Mills Came Calling". Vanguard. http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/26715/154/.
- ^ Adegbamigbe, Ademola (2009-01-19). "Mill's Day At The Synagogue". The News. http://thenewsng.com/article/1613.
External links
- Ghana-pedia webpage - Professor John Evans Atta-Mills
- Professor John Evans Atta Mills 2008 official campaign website
- "Profile: Ghana President John Atta Mills" BBC News, January 3, 2009
- New Ghana president sworn in Al-Jazeera, January 7, 2009
- A damned close-run thing—and a fine example to the rest of Africa The Economist, January 8, 2009
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Kufuor |
President of Ghana 2009 – present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Kow Nkensen Arkaah |
Vice President of Ghana 1997 – 2001 |
Succeeded by Aliu Mahama |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Jerry Rawlings |
National Democratic Congress presidential candidate 2000, 2004, 2008 |
Incumbent |
| Order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by First |
John Atta Mills President of Ghana |
Succeeded by John Dramani Mahama Vice President of Ghana |
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