About Prof John Evans Atta Mills
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.

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About  John Dramani Mahama

Mr. John Dramani Mahama, a communication consultant, is the running mate of Professor John Atta Mills, flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for the forthcoming 2008 elections.

Mr. Mahama, who is the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole-Bamboi, was born on November 29, 1958 at Damongo into a family of a rich political tradition dating back to the First Republic.

His father, Mr Emmanuel Adama Mahama was the first MP for Gonja West and the first Regional Commissioner of the Northern Region during the First Republic.

Mr. John Mahama is currently Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Foreign Affairs and member of the Pan African Parliament, representing Ghana for a five-year term ending 2008.

An eloquent champion of the underprivileged, Mr. Mahama is very much concerned about the plight of the people, especially rural communities, whom he always regarded as producers of the bulk of Ghana's raw materials and food requirements, but vulnerable.

"As a practical demonstration and as a man of the people who backs his words with deeds, John, even before contesting for the parliamentary seat of Bole, assisted in exploring avenues for the provision of hostel facilities to students of Bole Secondary School.

"He is one person who detests personality cult and always welcomes constructive criticisms," said Mr Ibrahim Mahama, his brother, who described the MP as "a man who has sworn never to impose his ideas on the people in his constituency but would always seek counsel from them." Mr. Mahama had his secondary education up to 'A' Level at Ghana Secondary School, Tamale, and proceeded to the University of Ghana where he obtained a degree in History in 1981.

In 1986, he graduated from the School of Communication Studies. He pursued a two-year special post-graduate programme at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, specializing in Social Psychology.

From 1991 to 1996, he worked as the Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra. He moved to Plans International, Ghana Country Office as International Relations, Sponsorship Communications and Grants Manager the same year. Mr. Mahama has had additional professional training both at home and abroad.

In 1993, he participated in a course for Overseas Public Relations Staff, organized by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also participated in a management development course organized by PLAN International (RESA) in Nairobi, Kenya.

He was first elected to the Parliament of Ghana in 1996 to represent the Bole/Bamboi Constituency for a four-year term. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications in April 1997 and rose to become the substantive Minister of Communications in November 1998, a position he held until January 2001 when the NDC Administration handed over power to the Kufuor-led government of the New Patriotic Party.

As Minister, Mr Mahama served as Chairman of the National Communications Authority. In this capacity, he played a key role in stabilizing Ghana's telecommunications sector after it was deregulated in 1997.

He served as a member of the National Economic Management team and also a member of the Implementation Committee of the 2000 National Population Census, and a founding member of the Ghana AIDS Commission.

He also served as deputy chairman of the Publicity Committee for the re-introduction of Value Added Tax.

Mr. Mahama was re-elected in 2000 as MP for Bole/Bamboi for another four-year period. He again won the seat in 2004 for a third term. From 2001 to 2004, he served as Minority Parliamentary spokesman for Communications. In 2002, he was appointed Director of Communications of the NDC.

In 2002, Mr. Mahama was among International Observers who watched Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections.

Mr. Mahama attended numerous conferences and won many Fellowships, including a study at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. He is also a Gates Fellow. He is married to Lordina and they have four children.