John Dramani Mahama
Encyclopedia
John Dramani Mahama məˈhɑːmə (born 29 November, 1958) is a communication expert, historian, writer, former Member of Parliament and Minister of State, and Vice President of the Republic of Ghana
.
for the Gonja
West Constituency and the first Regional Commissioner of the Northern Region during Ghana's First Republic.
Upon the successful completion of that programme, Mr. Mahama then went on to pursue an additional postgraduate diploma, this one in social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow
.
in Accra
.
From there he moved to the nongovernmental agency (NGO) PLAN International's Ghana Country Office, where he worked as International Relations, Sponsorship Communications and Grants Manager.
/Bamboi Constituency for a four-year term. In April 1997, Mr. Mahama was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications. He rose to become the substantive Minister of Communications by November 1998; it was a position he held until January 2001 when the National Democratic Congress
(NDC), which was the current ruling party, handed over power to the newly elected New Patriotic Party
's government.
In 2000, Mr. 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, Mr. 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.
(VAT).
Continuing to expand his interest and involvement in international affairs, in 2003 Mr. Mahama became a member of the Pan-African Parliament, serving as the Chairperson of the West African Caucus. In 2005 he was, additionally, appointed the Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. He served in these capacities until 2008, when he was handpicked to become the vice presidential candidate.
who believes in the importance of respect for, and tolerance of, other faiths and forms of worship in a nation as diverse and peaceful as Ghana. He has a keen interest in environmental affairs, particularly the problem of plastic pollution in Africa
, which he has committed himself to addressing during his tenure as Vice President.
in 2012.
Bridge Between Ghana and Black America | The Root | March 2011
Wired For Freedom in Africa | The Root | February 2011
The Politics of Peace | The Huffington Post | January 2011
There's Still Hope for Democracy in Africa | The Root| - December 2010
Seeing Africa With Different Eyes - June 2010
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
Early years and education
Mr. Mahama was born in Damango, which is in the Northern Region of Ghana. His father Mr. Emmanuel Adama Mahama was the first Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Gonja
Gonja
This page discusses the Ghanaian kingdom of Gonja; for uses for the word Ganja, see Ganja Gonja was a kingdom in northern Ghana; the word can also refer to the people of this kingdom. The Gonja are a Guan people who have been influenced by both Akan people and Mande people. With the fall of the...
West Constituency and the first Regional Commissioner of the Northern Region during Ghana's First Republic.
Upon the successful completion of that programme, Mr. Mahama then went on to pursue an additional postgraduate diploma, this one in social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Early career
After completing his education Mr. Mahama returned to Ghana and, from 1991 to 1996, he worked as the Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.
From there he moved to the nongovernmental agency (NGO) PLAN International's Ghana Country Office, where he worked as International Relations, Sponsorship Communications and Grants Manager.
As Member of Parliament
An eloquent champion of the underprivileged, Mr. Mahama was first elected to the Parliament of Ghana in 1996 to represent the BoleBole
-Geographical locations:* Bole District, Ghana* Bole, Ghana, town* Bole, Nottinghamshire, England* Bole International Airport * Bole, Xinjiang, China-Other:* Bole2Harlem, an Ethiopian hip hop fusion band* Bole , a unit of momentum...
/Bamboi Constituency for a four-year term. In April 1997, Mr. Mahama was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications. He rose to become the substantive Minister of Communications by November 1998; it was a position he held until January 2001 when the National Democratic Congress
National Democratic Congress
National Democratic Congress may mean:* National Democratic Congress * National Democratic Congress...
(NDC), which was the current ruling party, handed over power to the newly elected New Patriotic Party
New Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
's government.
In 2000, Mr. 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, Mr. 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
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
's Parliamentary Elections.
As Minister
During his tenure as Minister of Communications, Mr. 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. Mr. Mahama also served as a member of the National Economic Management Team, 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 TaxValue added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
(VAT).
Continuing to expand his interest and involvement in international affairs, in 2003 Mr. Mahama became a member of the Pan-African Parliament, serving as the Chairperson of the West African Caucus. In 2005 he was, additionally, appointed the Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. He served in these capacities until 2008, when he was handpicked to become the vice presidential candidate.
Family
Mr. Mahama has seven children. He is married to Mrs. Lordina Mahama. Despite his often busy schedule, Mr. Mahama makes it a point to devote time to his family, his faith and his hobbies. He is a ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
who believes in the importance of respect for, and tolerance of, other faiths and forms of worship in a nation as diverse and peaceful as Ghana. He has a keen interest in environmental affairs, particularly the problem of plastic pollution in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, which he has committed himself to addressing during his tenure as Vice President.
Books
Mr. Mahama loves to read; he is also an avid writer and has had numerous articles published nationally and internationally. He is in the midst of writing his first book, My First Coup d'Etat and Other True Stories From the Lost Decades of Africa, which will be published by BloomsburyBloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
in 2012.
Career highlights
- 1988: Institute of Social Sciences, MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(Postgraduate Studies in Social Psychology)
- 1991: Worked as: Information officer, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Embassy in Republic of Ghana
- 1995: Sponsorship and Grants Manager, Plan International, Ghana Country Office
- 1996: Elected, 1st term Member of Parliament for Bole/Bamboi Constituency
- 1997: Deputy Minister of Communications
- 1998: Minister of Communications
- 1998: Acted as Chairman of the National Communications Authority, Regulatory Agency for Telecommunications and ICT sector
- 2000: Elected, 2nd term Member of Parliament for Bole/Bamboi Constituency
- 2004: Elected, 3rd term Member of Parliament for Bole/Bamboi Constituency
- 2001: Minority Spokesman for Communications
- 2005: Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs
- 1997: Member, Appointments Committee of Parliament
- 1997: Member, Communications Committee of Parliament
- 1997: Member, Standing Orders Committee of Parliament
- 2002: Director of Communications NDC
- 2002: Member, Election observer and monitoring team, Zimbabwe Presidential elections
- 2004: Member of the Pan-African ParliamentPan-African ParliamentThe Pan-African Parliament , also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union and held its inaugural session in March 2004. The PAP exercises oversight, and has advisory and consultative powers, lasting for the first five years...
- Chairman of West African Caucus, Pan-African Parliament
- Member, Transport, Industry, Energy, Communications, Science and Technology Committee, Pan-African Parliament.
- Member, European and Pan-African Parliament Ad-hoc Committee on Co-operation.-->
Articles Written By H.E. Mahama
What Would Fela Think? | The Root | June 2011Bridge Between Ghana and Black America | The Root | March 2011
Wired For Freedom in Africa | The Root | February 2011
The Politics of Peace | The Huffington Post | January 2011
There's Still Hope for Democracy in Africa | The Root| - December 2010
Seeing Africa With Different Eyes - June 2010