BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA

He was born on 29th November 1958 in Damongo, capital of West Gonja district in a political family. His father Emmanuel Adama Mahama was a Member of Parliament from the West Gonja constituency.

Dramani received his elementary education at ‘Achimota School’ and later joined the ‘Ghana Secondary School’. In 1981, he graduated with a degree in history and after five years he earned a postgraduate diploma in communication studies from the ‘University of Ghana’, Legon.

This leader first worked as a teacher and imparted lessons on history to students of secondary level for a few years, after completing his graduation.

He then went to Moscow, where he completed his post-graduation from the ‘Institute of Social Sciences’, with a specialization in social psychology, in the year 1988.

During the period 1991-95, he was associated with the Japan embassy in Accra, the capital of Ghana, where he served as the Officer of Information, Culture and Research.

In 1993, the ‘Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’, Tokyo, conducted a training program for the Overseas Public Relations Staff and Dramani took part in this event. He also participated in the management development program conducted by the organization ‘Plan International’ in Nairobi, Kenya.

From 1995 to 1996, he was the International Relations, Sponsorship Communication and Grants Manager for the anti-poverty NGO named ‘Plan International’ office in Ghana.

In 1996, this president got his first exposure to politics after he was elected as a representative of Bole/Bamboi Constituency to the Parliament of Ghana for a term of four years.

This politician was appointed the Deputy Minister of Communications in the year 1997 and a year later, he was elected as the Minister of Communications. The leader continued to serve in this position for the next three years. During the same period, he was the Chairman of the ‘National Communications Authority’ too.

Mahama continued his post as a representative of Bole/Bamboi Constituency, after he was re-elected in the year 2000.

This leader was appointed the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications in the year 2001, a role in which he continued for four years.

The following year, he served as the Director of Communications for the ‘National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) and also a member of the ‘International Observers’ team, which was chosen to ensure that the ‘Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Elections’ takes place smoothly.

In 2003, this politician joined the pan-African parliament as one of its members and chaired the ‘West-African Caucus’.

In 2004, he was again re-elected to the office as a representative of the Bole/Bamboi Constituency.

He was then elected as the Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs in the year 2005.

In 2009, he was elected as the Vice-President of Ghana and continued in this position for three more years, till he was elected the President of the country.

During this period, he also chaired the ‘National Economic Management Team’ and was also engaged with organizations such as the ‘Armed Forces Council of Ghana’, ‘Decentralisation and Implementation Committee’ and the ‘Police Council of Ghana’.

On 24th July 2012, he took office as the President of Ghana, following the death of the former president John Atta Mills, and is currently the President of Ghana.

In 2014, he got associated with the ‘Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS), and also chaired the ‘High-Level African Trade Committee’ (HATC) of the ‘African Union’ (AU).

As the President of Ghana, Mahama promised to work towards fulfilling the visionary program of Ghana termed as the ‘Better Ghana Agenda’. He has been continuously working on this agenda which is aimed at made some significant reforms in the nation.

This leader was felicitated with an honorary doctorate in the sphere of Public Administration by the ‘Ekiti State University’, Nogeria.

He was also honoured with a ‘Friendship Medal’ by the government of Cuba, for his support towards Cuba.

Dramani has also been bestowed with the ‘Daniel Award’ by the ‘Assemblies of God’ group of Ghana.

He has received the ‘African Servant Leadership Award’ from the ‘Graduate School of Governance and Leadership’.

In 2013, he was awarded with the ‘Africa Award’ for ‘Excellence in Food Security and Poverty Reduction’ by the ‘Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa’ (FARA).

This political leader is also closely associated with the ‘Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This leader was also felicitated by the ‘Great Cross od the National order’ by the Benin President Yaji Boni. This is the utmost honour in Benin.

John Dramani is married to Lordina Dramani and the couple is blessed with seven children.

It’s believed that the president of Ghana can communicate in different languages such as English, Ga, Dagbani, Akan, Hausa and Gonja.

He has written many articles, essays and columns in newspapers and has also authored a book titled ‘My First Coup d'État and Other True Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa’, in the year 2012.

He himself being a farmer advocates the use of technology in cultivation process.

This leader is interested in music and follows Afrobeat music particularly Fela Kuti.