Ghanaians shocked by death of President Mills

Accra, July 24, GNA – Ghanaians are shocked by the sudden death of President John Evans Atta Mills as thousands of calls are being made to media houses for confirmation of the news.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, General Secretary of Convention Peoples Party (CPP) described the death as sudden and shocking.

He described President Mills as “A Ghanaian who served the nation well both in private capacity, as an academician, as Vice President and later President”.

The CPP send a message of condolence to the First Lady and the family, and other relatives and called on the nation to remain calm. "Another oak has fallen in the ever depleting forest of progressive forces”.

Professor Edmund Delle, Former National Chairman of the CPP, said the death of President Mills came as deep shock and described it as a great lost to the nation at the critical moment of Ghana's democratic development.

“Ghanaians will mourn as a group in totality and demonstrate to the rest of the world that even in diversity of political positions we stand together...my prayer is that Ghanaians will unit at this trying moment."

The Reverend Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah, Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana in a telephone interview from Zambia described as sad moment for the nation and called on all and sundry to remain calm and prayerful.

“I pray that as a nation, we will all stand together as one nation to move on,” he said.

Prof. Mills served as Vice President of Ghana under the second National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government from 1997-2000.

He contested the Presidential election in 2000 but lost to President John Agyekum Kufuor in the second round of voting.

The tax expert and law professor, was born on July 21, 1944 and is married to Ernestina Naadu Mills.

PROFILE
Educational background: 1957-63 - Achimota School ("O" and "A" Level Certificates)

1963-66 - University of Ghana, Legon. (Bachelor of Law)

1966-67 - University of Ghana, Legon. (Professional Certificate in Law)

1967-68 - London School of Economics and Political Science (LL M)

1968-71 - School of Oriental African Studies, University of London (Ph.D)

1970-71 - Stanford Law School, California (Fulbright Scholar) Employment Experience 1971-80 - Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon.

1980-91 - Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon

1992 - Promoted Associate Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana;

1978-79 - Visiting Professor, Temple Law School, Philadelphia

1986-87 - -do-
1985-86 - Visiting Lecturer, Leiden University, Holland

1986-1993 - Acting Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service of Ghana

1993-1996 - Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service of Ghana.

Contribution to University Administration - He was Hall Tutor, Legon Hall, University of Ghana, 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 Chairman University Superannuation Scheme. Professor Mills has more than one dozen publications. They include:

(1) Taxation of Periodical or Deferred Payments arising from the Sale of Fixed Capital (1974) University of Ghana Law Journal pp 170-178

(2) Exemption of Dividends from Income taxation: A critical Appraisal (1977) Review of Ghana Law Volume IX No. 1 pp 38-47

(3) Report of the Tax Review Commission, Ghana, parts 1,2&3, Accra, October 1977;

(4) Casebook on Ghana Income Tax
(5) Ghana's Income Tax Laws and the Investor. An inter-faculty lecture published by the University of Ghana.

(6) Criminal Law Treatment of Sexual Activity Generally

(7) The role of the state in the evolution of the family in Anglophone countries of Africa: An overview.

(8) A survey of taxes on the individual in Ghana
(9) Ghana's wealth tax: Some issues and problems
(10) Ghana's new Investment Code, An appraisal (An inter-faculty lecture delivered in 1986.)

GNA