John Evans Atta Mills

John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was a Ghanaian legal scholar and politician who was President of Ghana from 7 January 2009 until his death on 24 July 2012, the only Ghanaian head of state to die in office. He had earlier been Vice President under Jerry John Rawlings from 1997 to 2001.

Early life and education

He was born on 21 July 1944 in Tarkwa, in the Western Region, the second of seven children of John Atta Mills Sr., a teacher at Komenda Training College, and Mercy Dawson Amoah. The family came from Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region. He attended Huni Valley Methodist Primary School, Komenda Methodist Middle School and Achimota School, then earned a law degree at the University of Ghana in 1967, an LLM at the London School of Economics in 1968 and a PhD in law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1971, at the age of 27, with a thesis on taxation and economic development.

Law professor and tax chief

He taught law at the University of Ghana for about 25 years, spent 1971 as a Fulbright scholar at Stanford Law School, and was a visiting professor at Temple University and Leiden University. He was acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service from 1988 to 1993 and Commissioner from 1993 to 1996.

Vice President and three campaigns

When the National Convention Party left its alliance with the NDC in 1996, Rawlings chose Mills as his running mate, and he served as Vice President from 1997 to 2001. As the NDC candidate he lost the 2000 election to John Agyekum Kufuor in a run-off and lost to him again in 2004. In 2008, campaigning on a "Better Ghana" agenda, he beat Nana Akufo-Addo in a run-off decided only after a re-run in the Tain constituency, with 50.23 per cent of the vote.

President

His government oversaw Ghana's first commercial oil production, which began in 2010. Inflation fell from 18.1 per cent in December 2008 to single digits, the budget deficit narrowed sharply, and Ghana's economy grew by 14.4 per cent in 2011, one of the fastest rates in the world. He introduced the Single Spine Salary Structure for public sector workers and created the Ghana Revenue Authority by merging the IRS, VAT Service and CEPS. His calm style earned him the nickname "Asomdwehene", the King of Peace.

Death

He died in Accra on 24 July 2012, three days after his 68th birthday, and Vice President John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as President the same day. He was buried at Asomdwee Park in Accra. He was married to Ernestina Naadu Mills.