The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has conveyed its warmth and heartfelt felicitation to former President John Dramani Mahama on his 60th birthday.

In a congratulatory message signed by the party's Regional Chairman, Hon. Gyapong Kwadzo the party said "You have served your country well, no doubt your image keeps soaring up domestically and in international circles and above all, Ghanaians are yearning for your comeback".

The statement added that, "The massive transformation of the country under your leadership gives the opportunity to the NDC to assert itself as a major political pillar not only in Ghana but on the continent of Africa".

It concluded with "Volta NDC Party Leadership congratulates Former President Mahama On his 60TH birthday".

Brief Background of Mr. John Mahama

John Mahama was born on November 29th, 1958 in Damango, capital of West Gonja District, to an affluent teacher, rice farmer and politician. His father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, was the first member of Parliament for West Gonja and the first Regional Minister of Northern Region, serving under Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.

Mahama was first elected to the Parliament of Ghana in the 1996 elections to represent the
Bole/Bamboi Constituency for a four-year term. In April 1997, Mahama was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications.

He was promoted to the post of Minister of Communications in November 1998, serving in that post until January 2001, when the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) handed over power to the New Patriotic Party's government.

In 2000, Mahama was re-elected for another four-year term as the Member of Parliament for the Bole/Bamboi Constituency.

He was again re-elected in 2004 for a third term. From 2001 to 2004, Mahama served as the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications. In 2002, he was appointed the Director of Communications for the NDC. That same year, he served as a member of the team of International Observers selected to monitor
Zimbabwe 's Parliamentary Elections.

As an MP, he was a member of Standing Orders Committee as well as the Transport, Industry, Energy, Communications, Science and Technology Committee of Parliament.

Mahama served as the Deputy Minister of Communications between April 1997 and November 1998.

During his tenure as Minister of Communications, Mahama also served as the Chairman of the National Communications Authority, in which capacity he played a key role in stabilising Ghana's telecommunications sector after it was deregulated in 1997.

As a minister, he was a founding member of the Ghana AIDS Commission, a member of the implementation committee of the 2000 National Population Census and a deputy chairman of the Publicity Committee for the re-introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT).

Continuing to expand his interest and involvement in international affairs, in 2003 Mahama became a member of the Pan-African Parliament, serving as the Chairperson of the West African Caucus until 2011.

He was also a member of European and Pan African Parliaments' Ad-hoc Committee on Cooperation.

In 2005 he was, additionally, appointed the Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the UNDP Advisory Committee on Conflict Resolution in Ghana.

On 7 January 2009, Mahama became the Vice-President of Ghana.

He also served as the Chairman of the National Economic Management Team, the Armed Forces Council of Ghana, the Decentralisation and Implementation Committee and the Police Council of Ghana in this capacity.

In line with Ghana's constitution, Mahama became President of Ghana on 24 July 2012 on the death of his predecessor, John Atta Mills.

In July 2012, he became the Ghana's first president to have served at all levels of political office (Ghanaian and Pan-African MP , Deputy Minister, Minister, Vice-President and President).

Mr. John Mahama is currently vying for the position of Flagbearer in the NDC party with eleven others and many political pundits have tipped him as the right person to lead the party into 2020 general elections.

The party's presidential primaries slated for January 19, 2019.