John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) was a
Ghanaian
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...
politician and legal scholar who served as
President of Ghana
The president of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current president of Ghana is Nana Akufo-Addo, who won the 2020 presidential elec ...
from 2009 until his death in 2012. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the governing party candidate
Nana Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 7 January 2017. In 2020, he was re-elected for his second term, which will end on 6 January 2025. Akufo-Addo previously ...
in the
2008 election.
He was previously the
Vice-President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
from 1997 to 2001 under President
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...
, and he contested unsuccessfully in the
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
and
2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was the first
Ghanaian head of state to die in office.
Early life
Mills was born on 21 July 1944 in
Tarkwa
Tarkwa is a town and is the capital of Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal district, a district in the Western Region southwest of South Ghana. Tarkwa has a 2013 settlement population of 34,941 people.
Economy
Mining
Tarkwa is noted as a centre of gold ...
, in the
Western Region of Ghana.
His parents were John Atta Mills Sr., an educator, who taught at the
Komenda Teacher Training College and Mercy Dawson Amoah.
He was the second child (and first son) among seven siblings.
A member of the
Fante ethnic group, he hailed from the town of Ekumfi Otuam in the Mfantsiman East constituency of the
Central Region of Ghana.
He had his primary and middle school education at
Huni Valley
Huni Valley formerly known as Tinkwakrom is a small town in the Prestea-Huni Valley District of the Western Region in west central Ghana. It is one of the Wassa groups and a divisional arm to the Wassa Fiase people. They are the Bosomtwi traditi ...
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Primary School
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
and
Komenda
Komenda (; german: Commenda''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 26–27.) is a village in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. It is t ...
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Middle School
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
respectively. He then proceeded to the prestigious
Achimota School
Achimota School ( /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The school wa ...
for his secondary education, where he completed the Ordinary and Advanced-Level Certificates in 1961 and 1963 respectively, and the
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities.
The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...
,
Legon
Legon , a suburb of the Ghanaian city Accra, is situated about north-east of the city center in the Accra Metropolis District, a district in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Legon is home to the main campus of the University of Ghana. Ghanaia ...
, where he completed a bachelor of law degree,
LLB
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
and a professional law certificate in 1967.
Mills studied at the
where he obtained an
LLM
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...
in 1968 and earned a
PhD in Law at the
School of Oriental and African Studies School of Law, part of the federal
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
,
after completing his doctoral thesis in the field of
taxation
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal person, legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regiona ...
and
economic development
In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...
in 1971 at the age of 27. Even during his career in politics, he was sometimes called by the nickname ''The Prof'', a reference to his long academic career.
His political supporters also called him ''Asomdweehene'' meaning 'King of Peace' in the
Akan language
Akan () is a Central Tano language and the principal native language of the Akan people of Ghana, spoken over much of the southern half of Ghana. About 80% of Ghana's population can speak Akan, and about 44% of Ghanaians are native speakers. I ...
.
Early career
Mills' first formal teaching assignment was as a lecturer at the
Faculty of Law
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In American usage such divisions are generally referred to as colleges ...
at the
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities.
The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...
.
He spent close to twenty-five years teaching at
Legon
Legon , a suburb of the Ghanaian city Accra, is situated about north-east of the city center in the Accra Metropolis District, a district in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Legon is home to the main campus of the University of Ghana. Ghanaia ...
and other institutions of higher learning.
In 1971, he was selected for the
Fulbright Scholar
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
programme at
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School (Stanford Law or SLS) is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world. Stanford La ...
in the US.
He returned to his homeland, Ghana, at the end of the
international educational exchange fellowship to work at his alma mater, the University of Ghana, for 25 years.
He became a visiting professor at
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
(
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, USA), with two stints from 1978 to 1979, and 1986 to 1987. He was also a visiting lecturer at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
from 1985 to 1986. During this period, he authored several publications relating to taxation in the 1970s and 1980s.
Outside of his academic pursuits, Mills was the Acting Commissioner of Ghana's
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...
from 1988 to 1993 under President
Jerry John Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...
,
and the substantive Commissioner from 1993 to 1996. By 1992, he had become an
Associate Professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
of Law at the University of Ghana. In 2002, he was a
visiting scholar
In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic for which the visitor ...
at the
Liu Institute for Global Issues at the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia through a joint
Canadian International Development Agency
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was a federal Canadian organization that administered foreign aid programs in developing countries. The agency was merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the federal governmen ...
(CIDA) –
International Development Research Centre
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC; french: Centre de recherches pour le développement international, ''CRDI'') is a Canadian federal Crown corporation that funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions ...
(IDRC) fellowship programme.
Politics
Vice-President of Ghana
For the
inaugural presidential election in 1992, the
National Convention Party (NCP) had formed an alliance with the
National Democratic Congress (NDC). Former
Provisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, in a coup ...
(PNDC) Chairman, and leader of Ghana, Flight-Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings chose the NCP leader,
Kow Nkensen Arkaah
Kow Nkensen Arkaah (14 July 1927 – 25 April 2001) was a Ghanaian politician who was Vice-President of Ghana from 1993 to 1997. He was also a chief of Senya Breku.
Early life
Kow Arkaah was born on 14 July 1927 at Senya Breku in the Centr ...
, as his running-mate for vice-president. Having been elected in the 1992 election, Arkaah served between 1992 and 1996.
However, on 29 January 1996, the NCP broke with the NDC. Arkaah with the
National Convention Party formed the Great Alliance with the
New Patriotic Party
, logo =
, colorcode = #132f7a
, founder =
, founded = 28 July 1992
, dissolved =
, leader = Nana Akufo-Addo
, chairman = Stephen Ayensu Ntim
Stephen Ntim elected NPP National Chairman on fifth attempt http://www.gna.org.gh/1.2152672 ...
and was subsequently nominated as the running mate of
John Agyekum Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He was also Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008.
Kufuor's career has been sp ...
to challenge the
National Democratic Congress. Rawlings selected Mills for the vacated Vice-Presidency in his bid for re-election to a second term in the election and was re-elected to his second term in office, serving from 1996 to 2000. In his capacity as vice-president, he served as the Chairman of the Police Council of Ghana and the Chairman of the Economic Management Team.
Presidential elections
![Mills Obama Billboard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Mills_Obama_Billboard.jpg)
In 2000, Mills became the NDC's candidate for the
2000 presidential election after Rawlings had served his constitutionally mandated terms as president. The main rival for Mills' own bid for the presidency was
John Agyekum Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He was also Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008.
Kufuor's career has been sp ...
, who was running as the candidate for the opposition
New Patriotic Party
, logo =
, colorcode = #132f7a
, founder =
, founded = 28 July 1992
, dissolved =
, leader = Nana Akufo-Addo
, chairman = Stephen Ayensu Ntim
Stephen Ntim elected NPP National Chairman on fifth attempt http://www.gna.org.gh/1.2152672 ...
(NPP). In the heat of the 2000 presidential campaign, Mills was roundly criticized for statements that if elected he would consult with Rawlings daily.
In the first round, held on 7 December 2000, Mills gained 44.8% of the vote, Kufuor won the first round with 48.4%, thus forcing a second round. On 28 December 2000, Kufuor defeated Mills with 56.9% of the vote and was sworn in as president on 7 January 2001.
In December 2002, Mills was elected by his party to be its flag bearer and lead them into the
2004 election. He was, however, defeated again by incumbent president John Agyekum Kufuor, who received 52.45% of the vote on the first ballot.
On 21 December 2006, he became the NDC's candidate for the
2008 presidential election, winning his party's ticket by an 81.4% result (1,362 votes), far ahead of his opponents,
Ekwow Spio-Garbrah,
Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, and
Eddie Annan.
In the 2008 election,
John Agyekum Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He was also Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008.
Kufuor's career has been sp ...
was no longer eligible to run as president, having served two terms. It was during this time that the term ''
Better Ghana Agenda
The term Better Ghana Agenda, is a policy vision, that was used by the former ruling party of Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress of Ghana. The term "Better Ghana Agenda" was coined in the year 2007, prior ...
'' was coined. During the 2008 elections, in an attempt to change the public perception at the time that he would be a political lackey of his former mentor,
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...
when elected, he distanced himself from his previous comments made in the 2000 campaign .
Mills' main opponent from the
New Patriotic Party
, logo =
, colorcode = #132f7a
, founder =
, founded = 28 July 1992
, dissolved =
, leader = Nana Akufo-Addo
, chairman = Stephen Ayensu Ntim
Stephen Ntim elected NPP National Chairman on fifth attempt http://www.gna.org.gh/1.2152672 ...
was now
Nana Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 7 January 2017. In 2020, he was re-elected for his second term, which will end on 6 January 2025. Akufo-Addo previously ...
. Mills ran under the campaign slogan of "A Better Man for a Better Ghana," on a platform of change. He said: "People are complaining. They're saying that their standard of living has deteriorated these past eight years. So if Ghana is a model of growth, it's not translating into something people can feel."
The result of the first ballot had Akufo-Addo in front with 49.13% of the vote to Mills' 47.92%, however, a run-off second round of voting was needed. The second round of voting took place on 28 December 2008. The result was a slim lead held by Mills, but due to problems with the distribution of ballots, the
Tain
Tain ( Gaelic: ''Baile Dhubhthaich'') is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Highlands of Scotland.
Etymology
The name derives from the nearby River Tain, the name of which comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'flow'. The ...
constituency, located in the
Brong-Ahafo Region, was forced to vote again on 2 January 2009. The final result was a victory by Mills with 50.23% of the vote to Akufo-Addo's 49.77%. Mills became the third president of the 4th Republic of Ghana.
Self-described as a
social democrat
Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
who believed in the concept of
social welfare
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet Basic needs, basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refe ...
espoused by
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah (born 21 September 190927 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. An in ...
(independent Ghana's first leader), Mills embraced a political platform that was more comprehensive and less divisive than that of either Nkrumah or Rawlings. John Atta Mills was sworn in as president on 7 January 2009 in a peaceful transition after Akufo-Addo was narrowly defeated. His persistence and determination paid off when he won the 2008 presidential poll.
Presidency
![MiguelJorgeeJohnAttaMills](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/MiguelJorgeeJohnAttaMills.JPG)
Amongst his accomplishments as president was presiding over and initiating Ghana's first ever foray into oil production,after oil was discovered in commercial quantities under his predecessor,John Kufuor. He was also credited for growth in other sectors of the economy during his tenure. He was the first incumbent president to be re-nominated for an election for his party via a primary.
Some of the monumental achievements chalked during his term of office include:
Economy
Under Mills, Ghana's stable economy experienced sustained reduced inflation leading to the attainment of single digit inflation of about 8.4% (one of the lowest inflation rates Ghana had attained in 42 years i.e. period between 1970 and 2012 as well as the lowest since June 1992 just before the start of Ghana's Fourth Republic) from a high of 18.1% in December 2008.
This is indicative of prudent fiscal, monetary and other austerity policy measures that characterised his presidency to put the economy in healthy shape. The Ghanaian currency, the
Cedi also stabilised as a result of these policies. In 2011, Ghana was the fastest growing economy in the world at 20.15% for the first half of the year and 14.4% at the end of the financial year according to the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
and EconomyWatch.com. Moreover, Ghana's budget deficit was reduced to 2% of the Gross Domestic Product during his tenure compared to 14.5% of GDP in 2008, just before he was elected as the
President of Ghana
The president of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current president of Ghana is Nana Akufo-Addo, who won the 2020 presidential elec ...
. There was also a huge improvement in Ghana's gross international reserves and foreign direct investments (FDI) highlighting exceptional macroeconomic performance.
The Mills government also implemented the Single Spine Salary system which increased compensation levels of all public sector workers.
In a bid to improve the efficiency in revenue collection, Mills established the Ghana Revenue Authority which integrated
Value Added Tax
A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the end ...
(VAT), Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Under his governance, Ghana met three out of the four primary convergence criteria for the proposed
common currency
A currency union (also known as monetary union) is an intergovernmental agreement that involves two or more states sharing the same currency. These states may not necessarily have any further integration (such as an economic and monetary union, ...
,
Eco of the
West African Monetary Zone
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of , and in ...
. These accomplishments led to renewed domestic and foreign investor confidence in Ghana's economy.
During Mills' time in office, Ghana was adjudged the best place for doing business in West Africa and best West African performer in access to credit according to the 2011
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
Doing Business global rankings.
Education
There was also an increase in the capitation grants (government subsidies towards public education) under Mills. The government also introduced a programme to provide free school uniforms to deprived communities while providing over 100,000
laptops
A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...
or
notebooks
A notebook is a small book often used for writing.
Notebook or The Notebook may also refer to:
Computing
*Laptop, a type of personal computer
*Google Notebook, a discontinued online application
* Notebook interface, a type of programming environ ...
to school children to facilitate the learning process in a highly technological world. An initiative to provide free exercise books started under Mills. More than 23 million books were distributed. His government also expanded the school feeding programme to include 230 more schools.
Government paid the full tuition fees for all teachers pursuing further studies through distance learning. A sustained program involving the Ministry of Education, the GETFUND, and resources allocated by the various District Assemblies have begun to ensure the elimination of schools under trees and provide all schools in the country with decent classroom infrastructure. Out of the 4,320 schools under trees, almost 1,700 schools under trees were eliminated across the country. The Mills administration also started a program to re-equip science resource centres in all districts of the country to enhance the teaching and learning of science.
Two new specialized public universities were established during his tenure: the
University of Health and Allied Sciences
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) a public university located at Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. UHAS is one of the youngest public universities in Ghana. Its operation started in September 2012, when the first batch of 154 s ...
in the
Volta Region
Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-et ...
and the
University of Energy and Natural Resources
The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR; french: Université de l'énergie et des ressources naturelles) is a public-funded university in Ghana, that was established by an Act of the Parliament of Ghana, Act 830, 2011 on December 31, ...
in the
Brong-Ahafo Region. As president, Mills established a working relationship between the Masters in Development Practice program (MDP) at the
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and kinesiology and applied health as well as gr ...
, Canada and the
University for Development Studies
The University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana, Tamale was established in 1992 by the government of Ghana with a view to accelerating the development of the then 3 Northern Regions of Ghana (the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions ...
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, leading to a joint initiative on the study of development practice for Indigenous and traditional societies.
Health
During his term of office, the Mills government provided a facelift to many teaching, regional and district hospitals across the country by upgrading old facilities and providing newer ones such as more high-tech equipment and more beds in hospitals, particularly at the
Tamale Teaching Hospital
The Tamale Teaching Hospital is a Teaching hospital in Tamale in the Northern region and the third largest hospital in Ghana. It serves as a referral hospital for the five northern regions of Ghana. The main hospital in Northern Ghana, 2 km ...
.
His government also built several polyclinics to increase access to healthcare.
The government also scaled up the National Ambulance Service to cover all districts in the nation. Increased collaboration between stakeholders led higher patronage of the
National Health Insurance Scheme. Utilization of the scheme rose by 75%.
Governance and international relations
True to his promise to reduce the number of Ministerial appointees and run a lean government, the number of Ministers was significantly reduced from 87 of the previous Kufuor
NPP government to 73 (a reduction of 16%) in the Mills-led government. It was projected that approximately $4 million was saved annually by this bold decision to run a small government. The hundreds of Special Assistants, Presidential Staffers and Spokespersons were also eliminated to improve fiscal efficiency.
He commissioned a review of the 1992
Constitution of Ghana
The Constitution of Ghana is the supreme law of the Republic of Ghana. It was approved on 28 April 1992 through a national referendum after 92% support. It defines the fundamental political principles, establishing the structure, procedures, pow ...
in a bid to improve upon the country's governance architecture.
He held an annual media forum every year at the presidency to interact with journalists about socio-political issues.
![Obama_&_Atta-Mills,_2012-07-31_B002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Obama_%26_Atta-Mills%2C_2012-07-31_B002.jpg)
President Atta Mills re-equipped and re-tooled the security agencies: the military, the police, the fire service, the Immigration, The Prisons Service and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).
In order to ensure inter-generational equity because of the "finite nature of resource revenue" as well as financial security for future Ghanaian generations, the Mills government established in 2011, the Ghana Heritage Fund - a sovereign wealth fund generated from petroleum revenue accumulated from the country's oil and gas industry. John Atta Mills established the Media Development Fund to promote media excellence and freedom in the spirit of 1992 constitution. A few months prior to his death, he was praised by US President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
for making Ghana a "good news story" that had good democratic credentials. He also
fostered economic ties with China in a bid strengthen Sino-Ghanaian bilateral relations. In 2009, the
Journal of International Affairs
The ''Journal of International Affairs'' is a biannual academic journal covering foreign affairs. It is edited by graduate students at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. It was established in 1947 as a nonprofit ...
at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
featured Mills as one of the "Five Faces of African Innovation and Entrepreneurship" along with South African innovator,
Euvin Naidoo
Euvin Naidoo (born 1971) is a South African banking executive based in Johannesburg.
An alumnus of the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., Naidoo has been recognized by Forbes as one of the leading advocates for western investment in ...
and
Mo Ibrahim
Mohammed "Mo" Ibrahim ( ar, محمد إبراهيم; born 3 May 1946) is a Sudanese-British billionaire businessman. He worked for several telecommunications companies, before founding Celtel, which when sold had over 24 million mobile phone s ...
, (founder of
Celtel International
Celtel was a telecommunications company that operated in several African countries. It was founded by Sudanese-born Mo Ibrahim.
History
Originally known as "MSI Cellular Investments", the company began operating in 1998. In January 2004, the ...
and Chairman of the
Mo Ibrahim Foundation
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation was established in 2006.
It was founded by Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who founded the telecommunications company Celtel International in 1998.
Ibrahim is the chairman. Other board ...
) where he was lauded for his commitment to strengthening Ghana's Electoral Commission,
National Media Commission
Ghana has a pluralistic and free media environment with an independent statutory media regulatory body, which is the National Media Commission. The National Media Commission was set up on July 7, 1993 by an act of the Parliament of the Republic of ...
and
National Commission for Civic Education and more importantly, transparency in public institutions, particularly in the country's growing oil and gas sector. Mills' leadership style was very diplomatic, inclusive and less polarising than his predecessors. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
described his presidency as that of "a peacemaker who was never one to make disparaging comments in public" despite intense criticisms and vilification from his political supporters and opponents alike.
The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) law was passed and work was started to open up the three Northern regions, Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions to enhance agriculture production and industrialisation. Under Mills, the producer price of cocoa increased appreciably to $1600 per tonne of 16 bags, which was the highest in the sub-region and the highest that had ever been paid to cocoa farmers in Ghana's entire history.
Cocoa production also hit a record-breaking 1 million metric tonnes.
Under the rural electrification programme, he extended national electricity coverage from 54% to 72% improving livelihoods in 1,700 communities and making
with enhanced energy access.
(née Botchway), an educator, and had a son, Sam Kofi Atta Mills.
. He was a good friend to
of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations in Lagos, Nigeria and regularly visited his church. He said, following his inauguration, that Joshua had prophesied that it would take him three elections to win the presidency and that the result would be released in January.
As a sports administrator, he contributed to the Ghana Hockey Association, National Sports Council of Ghana, Ghana Olympic Committee and
. He was one time the chairman. He enjoyed
and swimming, and once played for the national hockey team (he remained a member of the Veterans Hockey Team until his death).
fan.
as well as serving as the Hall Librarian, Member of Legon Hall Council, Member of Board of Social Studies and School of Administration, Member of Admissions Board, Staff Housing Loans Scheme and the Chairman of the University Superannuation Scheme.
council.
* In 1988, he became the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service of Ghana and was named national tax commissioner in September 1993.
* He also held examiner positions with finance-related institutions in Ghana, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Bankers, and Ghana Tax Review Commission.
* He served on the
Administration of Tax Experts, United Nations Ad Hoc Group of Experts in International Cooperation in Tax Matters and United Nations Law and Population Project.
* He led a study on equipment leasing in Ghana.
* He chaired the casebook preparation on Ghana's income tax.
* He oversaw the Review of Ghana's Double Tax Agreement with the UK.
three days after his 68th birthday.
Though the cause of death was not immediately released, he had been suffering from
and had recently been to the US for medical reasons.
Announcing his death, his office noted that he died hours after being taken ill, but a presidential aide said that he had complained of pains the day prior to his death. However, Mills' brother, Dr. Cadman Mills later disclosed during the graveside service that he had died from complications of a
. According to the
...