Late John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was born on 21 July 1944 in Tarkwa, in the Western Region of Ghana and joined his maker on 24 July 2012 at the 37 military hospital in Accra. He was a Ghanaian politician, a lawyer, a legal scholar, a tax expert and a sports administrator and was President of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012.
He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 election.He was the 3rd John to contest election, won on the 3rd attempt for a 3rd round of election and the 3rd on the ballot paper.
He was vice-president from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and contest unsuccessfully in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections against former President John Agyekum Kuffour as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He is the first President to have died in our body politics in office.
He was an illustrious son 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 Methodist Primary School and Komenda Methodist Middle School respectively.
He took his secondary education at the prestigious Achimota School where he completed the Ordinary and Advanced-Level Certificates in 1961 and 1963 respectively, and the University of Ghana, Legon, where he completed a bachelor of law degree, LLB and a professional law certificate in 1967.J.E.A Mills studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science where he obtained an LLM in 1968 and earned a PhD in Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London after completing his doctoral thesis in the field of taxation and economic development in 1971 at the age of 27.
In politics his demeanor earned him the accolade " Asomdweehene " king of peace and JEAM but was mostly addressed as "Prof" reference to his astute academic excellence.
Asomdweehene's tolerance level in politics was just unmatched made him accessible to anyone it never mattered to him ones status in society. He was very humorous which is one characteristics of our people from the Fante land.
He goes down in history as the Ghanaian president who suffered verbal abuse and propaganda especially from the opposition and internal wranglers of his party but never sort to have victimized anybody. He was the kind of politician who believed politics is about leadership which epitomizes service to the people.
He was not the first sitting African president to have passed still in power but his death came as a surprised to Africa especially and the world at large. His death can best fit the phrase " WHAT A SHOCK"
Though mourning is a passage of right in our Ghanaian culture, his demise saw a complete united Ghana which was something that eluded Ghana except when the blacks stars went to the World Cup and Satellite in 2009 winning the youth tournament. He simply believed in the abilities of everyone especially the youth, which played out so much in his deputy ministers.
His achievement cannot be enumerated in this given space because he chalked successes in every sphere of the economy for growth and development.
His fellow African leaders had these to say; ECOWAS said President Mills' death "has robbed the region of a voice of wisdom which enriched the discussions of the affairs of the Community." The African Union Chairman, Yayi Boni said "the late President Mills had the same vision as the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah and it was a great, great loss for the country and for the continent."Liberia's President and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said the news had "come as a surprise. On a personal level his moderation and integrity stood out, playing a strong role at the regional meetings they both attended.' Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said'Mills was a great friend of our country and a firm believer in the shared heritage and common destiny of all Africans. President Mills and I shared a vision of peace and political stability as well as regional and continental economic integration in pursuit of progress and development, in our individual countries, within the sub-region and in Africa as a whole.'South African President Jacob Zuma said "South Africa and Ghana enjoy strong relations at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, and under President Mills' leadership, we saw genuine efforts aimed at deepening the historical relations between our two nations."
This is what world leaders had to say about him; United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon "Mills will be remembered for his statesmanship and years of dedicated service to his country.French President Francois Hollande described Mills as " the guardian of institutions and the defender of Ghanaian democracy...committed to protecting national unity and profoundly attached to African unity and to the place of Africa within the international community.United States President Barack Obama called Mills a "strong advocate for human rights and for the fair treatment of all Ghanaians, tirelessly working to improve the lives of the Ghanaian people; He helped promote economic growth in Ghana in the midst of challenging global circumstances and strengthened Ghana's strong tradition of democracy". Prime Minister of United Kingdom David Cameron praised Mills as "a tireless defender of democracy in West Africa and across the continent". Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihiko Noda lauded Mills for "his exemplary leadership which endeared him to the hearts of many and his contribution to strengthening the relationship between Ghana and Japan."and FIFA President, Sepp Blatter said 'Ghana has lost a great football supporter and a supporter of the development of the game in the country."
Some of his publications included:
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 - 3 (1977)
Ghana's Income Tax Laws and the Investor (1978)
Ghana's New Investment Code: An Appraisal (1993)
He was awarded the highest prize as the 2012 Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize Laureate on Democratic Governance and Development in Africa, The International Institute of Education (IIE) in New York bestowed on him its highest award, The Fritz Redlich Alumni Award
This is the man SONETCO Institute celebrates his 1st year anniversary for the kind of exemplary leadership he showed.
Our condolence to Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills, Sam Atta Mills, his entire family, National Democratic Congress, Mother Ghana and Africa as a whole as we celebrate one year anniversary of the demise of an illustrious son.
Long live Prof J.E.A Mills
Long live SONETCO INSTITUTE
Long live Ghana
Administrators
Eric Essel - 0244381797
Kwasi Dawood - 0246399412
Robert - 0242357975
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