allAfrica.com: Ghana: The 'Ins' And 'Outs' of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills (Page 1 of 2)

In the 1970's, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills was still a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghana when he noticed that one of his students was struggling. The boy had recently lost his father and couldn't afford the trip home to attend the funeral.

"[Prof. Mills] gave the money himself," said Nii Lamtey Vanderpuye, who was a student and friend of Prof. Mills and who now works as his Special Operations Assistant. "Rarely did lecturers do these things because they were not well paid. I think it's something that I will never forget about him."

Apparently such acts were nothing out of the ordinary for the National Democratic Congress's flagbearer, who will run for president for the third time in December. Vanderpuye says he always knew that Prof. Mills was destined for greatness, even before he entered into the public eye.

"I've always seen him to be a straight, upright person - very frank and principled - but above all, very humble," Vanderpuye said, adding that these qualities doubtlessly helped Prof. Mills along his path to success.

Born on July 21, 1944, at Tarkwa in the Western Region, Prof. Mills attended Achimota Secondary School and later received a bachelor's degree and professional certificate in law at Legon in 1967.

He was selected as a Fulbright scholar at Stanford Law School in the United States of America and at the age of 27, earned his PhD in law from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Prof. Mill's first formal assignment was as a lecturer at his former alma mater - University of Ghana - where he spent close to 25 years imparting knowledge and quietly rising through the ranks to become an associate professor. He contributed greatly to the University, serving on numerous boards and committees.

Those close to him are quick to cite his impressive track record of financial knowledge and professional credentials, not the least of which include his tenure as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and the Vice President of Ghana under Former President Jerry Rawlings of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Prof. Mills' supporters have lauded him for heading improvements in Ghana's infrastructure. In a recent press release, the office of the NDC mentioned the Ekumfi electrification project, the Brimsu Water Expansion project and the tarring of roads in Winneba, as a few of the projects that were undertaken "during the time of the NDC" or "during the time that Prof. Mills served as Vice President of Ghana".

But despite his impressive resume, Prof. Mills has faced criticism for his handling of government finances. Yaw Osafo-Maafo of the New Patriotic Party has noted that while he left US $1,425.6 million at the time he left the Finance Ministry in 2004, the NDC government under which Prof. Mills served as Vice President and Chairman of the Economic Management Team, left a foreign exchange reserve of only US $233 million. Supporters of Osafo-Maafo, who was unsuccessful in his bid last December to lead the ruling NPP, also lambasted Prof. Mills for his supervision of the Aveyime Quality grain Project, which led to a loss of about 20 million Ghana cedis to the nation.

Such criticisms aside, Prof. Mill's biggest challenge perhaps is proving to Ghanaians that he is his own man.

No Ghanaian can deny that Prof. Mills' past and present fortunes remain closely tied to that of former president Jerry Rawlings. While the NDC flagbearer once stated that, if elected, he intended to consult Rawlings 24 hours-a-day, the recent controversy over running mate John Mahama brought to light the influence that the Rawlings' name still holds, despite the fact that Prof. Mills went against their choice.

Another challenge is the persistent rumors about Prof. Mills' medical condition. Some concerned NDC members have said the twice-defeated party flagbearer should step down and attend to his alleged failing health. Though he has received medical attention in China and South Africa - the latter country for four months - Prof. Mills' has denied that he has serious medical problems.

"I've never been sick. I don't even take asprin," he said to Kofi Annan last year, according an article by The Statesman.

Vanderpuye breezily fields questions about Prof. Mill's lesser qualities, saying he and other NDC officials are optimistic about Prof. Mills' success, in spite of these denigrations and his previous two unsuccessful tries for the presidency. Vanderpuye cites his house-to-house method of campaigning, which allows him to be more accessible to voters. This way, Ghanaians will not only be able to familiarize themselves with Prof. Mills' policies, they might also get to know the candidate as a person, he explains.

The electorate he courts might identify with the fact that Prof. Mills is a family man - married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, an educationist, and father to a 19-year-old son named Sam. They might be surprised when they talk to him about his hobbies - Prof. Mills is rumored to be a wizard on the hockey field; an athlete who still swims almost every day. This one-on-one relationship with civilians is important to his old professor, Vanderpuye adds.

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