Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) for Election 2012, on Thursday advanced the frontiers of transparency and accountability in governance, declaring his source of campaign funds, income tax returns and assets.
He revealed that the party had so far spent some GHc4, 168,600 on its campaign activities, projecting that it would infuse some additional Ghc300, 000 into the process by the close of polls Friday.
At a press conference in Accra, where those documents were displayed for the perusal of the media, Dr Nduom said the move was in keeping with his personal and active commitment against corruption, and to bring the needed reforms into the governance of the country.
Dr. Nduom during his campaign across the Ghana, asked all other presidential aspirants in the December 2012 election to declare their source of campaign funding and assets to enable Ghanaians to examine them and their ability to fight corruption that has stifled the rapid socio-economic growth and development of the country.
But none of those contesting the presidential slots have lived up to the challenge.
He said: “We need to establish a moral authority for Ghana to be a good society and to attain its desired developmental level,
“Those who wanted to control the affairs of the country should demonstrate moral uprightness and the zeal to offer incorruptible and accountable leadership to the people”.
Dr. Nduom said it was unfortunate that after several weeks of making the call, other presidential candidates had failed to take up the challenge.
“John Mahama says he is not corrupt. Nana Akufo-Addo says he is not corrupt. I am not here to accuse anyone of being corrupt. That is not my style and that is not the issue on the table. It is a matter of who is willing to make a personal, active commitment against corruption”, he said.
Dr. Nduom said the leaders of the NPP and the NDC were hiding behind legal smokescreens, arguing that when the law compelled them to be transparent and accountable, they would comply.
“Sadly, they miss the point that you lead from the front. Moral persuasion is the best teacher. Moral authority lasts a lifetime”, he noted.
Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom regretted that declaring one’s assets before vying for public office was a minimum practice in developed countries, urging Ghanaians to demand that politicians meet that standard before they are giving the mandate to govern.
He said making that public declaration made him the only trusted personality among the candidates, and called on Ghanaians to jettison both parties (NDC and NPP) and vote massively for the PPP to witness practical leadership that cannot be perverted, bribed, or corrupted.
“Transparency, accountability, the truth and personal discipline are needed if we want to move Ghana into a higher level of performance and give our people the opportunity to enjoy a world class standard of living in our life time”, said Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.
He said Ghanaians had a real choice to make between “pretenders and doers”, and that “while the pretenders talk”, he will take strong and bold steps and do what will make the nation great and strong by ridding the country of corruption.
Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom said: “I am human, but on the platform of incorruptible leadership, I stand alone as the only one in the presidential race this year willing to make a great personal sacrifice. Politics in Ghana will never be the same. The PPP is setting a new high standard for others to follow”.
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
