The National Campaign for the presidency of Ghana by Prof John Evans Atta Mills has begun in earnest. December 2008 is surely an election that Prof Atta Mills will win.
Go to www.attamills2008.com and discover the real Prof Atta Mills as presented by his friends and family. Yes, you got that right! Friends and Family of Prof Mills, led by his brother, Dr Cadman Mills, put together this dedicated website, more as a tribute to the essence of the man we know to be good at everything he does, than anything else. This certainly is a true act of love and sacrifice. Prof Atta Mills was elected on December 21, 2006, as Flag bearer and Presidential Candidate for the presidency of Ghana in 2008.
Perhaps, words from the preamble of the web site speak to the motivation of the friends and family: ?By choice, the family and friends of Professor Atta Mills did not seek to be commissioned or formally endorsed by the Atta Mills campaign so as to be able to be as candid as possible in our presentation of Professor Atta Mills and the challenges he faces.?
Our main objectives for this web site www.attamills2008.com as culled again from the preamble of the web site are clear and very specific.
1. We want to highlight Prof Atta Mills? ?life time devotion to
(a) training, mentoring, and nurturing generations of Ghanaian youth, including his contribution to the development of sports in Ghana,
(b) public service to the nation in his capacity as Chairman of the Board and, later, as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and as Vice President of the Republic of Ghana,
(c) sharing global experience on the reform of tax policies and administration through his membership on the United Nations Committee of Tax Experts, and
(d) making invaluable contributions to the development of democracy in Ghana.?
2. We want ?to fully and actively support the bid of Professor John Evans Atta Mills for the Presidency of Ghana in December 2008. Those of us, who know the good Prof really well, are convinced that he is the real deal at this critical juncture in the history of Ghana. He is a man of character, vision, experience, and dedication to the betterment of Ghana. Few would question his conviction and persistence and love of nation as is symbolized by his 8-year quest for the opportunity to make a contribution as President of the Republic of Ghana. His values: honesty and candor in his dealings with others, inspiring others (regardless of ethnic, religious, or political affiliation) to make the best contribution that they are capable of, and above all, being relentless in his defense of the down-trodden are known to friends and foes alike.?
3. We want ?to re-introduce people to Professor Atta Mills' views on policies (economic, social, health, political etc) and to invite the folks to the site to make a contribution to the development and refinement of these policies. Professor Atta Mills, as we know him, has (strong and) well articulated positions on these issues as an academic and a politician. Unfortunately, these views which need to be debated, questioned, endorsed, or embellished are the biggest casualties in the current preferred Ghanaian political campaign strategy of personal attacks and ostentatious displays of (ill-acquired) party vehicles, paraphernalia, and largesse to the voting public.
4. Finally, we want ?to solicit the support of visitors to this site as for example for ideas, volunteering time, in making financial contributions and, by so doing, help promote true democracy in Ghana . As Professor Atta Mills has often expressed, Democracy is much more than having the population go through a perfunctory exercise of casting votes at regular intervals. Democracy cannot flourish if opposition parties cannot present an alternative vision for lack of resources. Moreover, he who pays the piper calls the tune! It is our fervent hope that this site will contribute to a new Ghanaian Democracy whereby candidates rely on contributions from a large number of contributors and are in turn accountable for realizing the visions and aspirations of the population for Ghana.?
People wanting to know Prof Atta Mills and what he stands for have been given a golden opportunity to do just that without any obfuscation. Prof Atta Mills has more than a dozen publications, all listed on the web site. The accomplishments of Prof Atta Mills are all laid out in the web site. The intellectual power and compassion of Prof Atta Mills can be gleamed from these writings and accomplishments.
The policy positions of Professor John Evans Atta Mills on the Economy, Education, and Health amongst other equally important topical issues are presented in this web site. These positions are developed in some detail to permit the visitor to understand the social, economic, political, and analytical basis for these positions. We believe that, even though the presentations are intentionally very brief, Professor Atta Mills' positions on the economy, education, and health are sufficiently defining that visitors to this site can have a reasonably complete view of what the Professor's policy agenda will be when he assumes the Presidency in January 2009.
As one of the foremost public and political figures in Ghana, Professor Atta Mills has over the years expressed views on a myriad of policy areas spanning: Law and Order, Trade and Commerce, Support to the Private Sector, Youth and Leadership, ICT and E-Governance, Labor and Employment, Democracy and the Funding of Political parties, and Ghana's Foreign Policy. The most germane of these views are presented in quotation form under the fourth heading, ?Other Policy Positions?.
It is important for the visitor to the site to note that these policy positions of Professor Atta Mills are not cast in stone. As we pointed, the purpose of putting the Professor's policy position the in the public domain is to invite the visitor to the site to make a contribution to the development and refinement of these policies. Ghana faces issues which are dynamic in nature that require dynamic solutions. Since wisdom and knowledge do not repose in the bosom of one person or a select group, it is our hope that the Professor's vision will be debated, questioned, endorsed, or embellished, and thus become a shared vision around which Ghanaians (irrespective of their political party affiliations) as well as the friends of Ghana can rally. We further hope that your contributions to the shared vision may lead to the identification of actions that can (and should) be monitored, as well as tangible results that an Atta Mills Presidency should aim for.
Prof Atta Mills is determined to work hard to achieve victory in 2008. Prof Atta Mills believes hope lies in action, and therefore to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of yearning Ghanaians, we all need to be proactive and resolve to act timeously for the benefit of the yearning masses. Every Contribution to the Atta Mills Campaign through the PayPal Link provided will be acknowledged. No amount is too small. Prof Atta Mills, the next president of Ghana, is indeed the Champion of Democracy!
