It Is About Professor Mills & Akufo-Addo
The first round is over, and it is no longer a contest between NDC and NPP. It is now a contest between two personalities; Professor John Evans Atta Mills and Akufo-Addo.
Yes, it is now down to a contest between a President that can be trusted and a President that cannot be trusted.
Professor John Evans Atta Mills had a very humble and everyday upbringing.
His father was a teacher in and his mother was a trader.
Professor Mills grew up in Komenda and was an “ordinary” boy who was gifted and so he managed to move from “syto” to Achimota School on full scholarship.
After Achimota, Professor Mills went to University of Ghana Legon, where he studied law and came out with a Second Class Upper.
From Legon, he moved to the London School of Economics (LSE) where he obtained his Masters and then moved to the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where at the age of 27 he successfully defended his doctoral thesis and obtained his PhD in the area of Economic Management and Taxation.
Whiles at SOAS his intellectual prowess got him to be a Fulbright Scholar at the prestigious Stanford University in the United States of America.
Professor Mills then proceeded back home to Ghana and spent more than 25 years imparting knowledge and mentoring students at the University of Ghana and other institutions of higher learning.
Indeed, for years, Professor Mills was the only lecturer in the area of taxation.
Little wonder that he is one of the five Africans who consult in the area of taxation for the United Nations.
Some of his students at the University of Ghana include, Allan Kyeremanteng, the late Baah Wiredu, Gloria Akufo, Joe Ghartey, Freddie Blay, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Yooni Kolendi, Nana Obiri Boahen, etc.
Today, some of the people who studied at the feet of Professor Mills, just for political expediency, open their mouths and say that Professor Mills is not his own man and that when he becomes President, Jerry Rawlings will control him.
The question is; when Professor Mills was teaching them and marking their exams scripts, was it Jerry Rawlings who was telling the learned Professor Mills what to do? Of course not!
Indeed, most of the lawyers who have practiced and still practice in Akufo-Addo’s chambers, were tutored by Professor Mills.
For more than eight years, Professor Mills was in-charge of managing the tax system of this country and his record at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stands tall.
Go to IRS, and workers who know the true story will tell you that they wish Professor Mills was still their Commissioner.
Professor Mills has also served as Vice President of the Republic.
Apart from his tall public service record, Professor Mills is a keen sportsman whose sporting prowess is a matter of public knowledge.
He is a solid hockey player and used to be a member of the national hockey team.
Professor Mills is also a swimmer and spends close to two hours in the pool when he has the time.
When it comes to football, the learned Professor is not only solid on the ball, but is a football administrator par excellence.
Akufo-Addo was born into a rich home and grew up with a silver spoon his mouth.
Akufo-Addo started his university education in London, failed and was brought to Ghana.
He studied economics for his first degree at Legon and got a bad third class.
He then went back to London and managed to get some training in law.
After that training in law, Akufo-Addo has not progressed on the educational ladder.
Akufo-Addo spent his whole life in private practice and only came into public service after Ghanaians made a mistake and gave the mandate to the NPP in 2000.
For a fact, Akufo-Addo, a couple of months ago, said there is no way he could have survived on the income of a public servant that is why he never ventured into public service.
Compare Akufo-Addo to Professor Mills, who has survived on public service salary his whole life.
Professor Mills exudes humility, Akufo-Addo exudes arrogance.
Professor Mills is a peacemaker, Akufo-Addo is a hostile character.
Professor Mills is a unifier, Akufo-Addo is a very divisive character.
Professor Mills believes that God ordains leaders, Akufo-Addo believes that he was born to rule Ghana.
Professor Mills is a President Ghanaians can trust and on 28th December, there is no doubt that majority of Ghanaians will vote for Professor Mills for him to lead the nation back onto the path of righteousness and prosperity for all.
Most certainly, Professor Mills will restore pride and dignity to the Presidency.
Vote for Professor Mills, Vote for a Better Ghana.