Presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) in the 2012 polls, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has disclosed that the party has accomplished a lot within the short three-year period that it has existed as a political party.
He was happy about the progress the party has made so far, especially in the fight against corruption; the campaign for incorruptible leadership; mandatory free compulsory education from the basic level through to Senior High School and the strong advocate for the election of municipal and metropolitan district chief executives (MMDCEs.)
Dr. Nduom told the media that the party has accomplished all these within a relatively short period because it carried the fight against corruption to the people by making everybody aware how corruption was killing our nation and how it had made it impossible for the country to achieve anything meaningful.
“We put the matter of corruption and its bad influence on national conscience for everybody to know how corruption is a rot that is killing our nation,” noting that it is because of corruption that “we have not achieved a lot although we have many resources like Gold, Manganese, and lately Oil & Gas,” he stressed.
According to him, it is the PPP that has made it possible for people to lend their minds and thoughts to the issue of corruption; the need for incorruptible leadership and estimated how Ghana loses billions of Cedis through corruption.
“Imagine what we can do with that billions of Cedis... how many schools, how many high class highways, health centres and hospitals that we can build with these billions,” Dr. Nduom quizzed.
He wondered how these billions could have been used to create jobs with government acting as the chief facilitator and explained how within the three year period, the PPP has brought solutions to many problems affecting Ghana’s governance system.
“We showed that in our demonstrations last year...we went knocking at the doors everywhere we went. In order to deal with corruption, we’ve called for the separation of the Attorney-General’s Department from the Ministry of Justice,” Dr. Nduom emphasised.
In the firm opinion of the PPP 2012 flag-bearer, it is when the separation is done that the Justice Department shall then take up the role of Independent Prosecutor that can help in non-partisan way of dealing with corruption.
He was happy that many of the issues that the PPP has introduced into Ghanaian politics were gaining the attention of many, including political parties and stake-holders.
Dr. Nduom noted that another of the PPP crusade was the election of Municipal Metropolitan and District Chief Executives without the manipulation of a sitting President, has been a major talking point not only among Ghanaians but also politicians.
“It is only through the election of MMDCEs that we can feel democracy at the grass-root;...and there can be accelerated developments everywhere,” Dr. Nduom emphasised, adding that “we’ve been to the office of the President himself to put the matter before him. We’ll continue till we get results”.
Dr. Nduom also touted the discipline with which the PPP has approached and preached to Ghanaians on what the party stands for, adding that it is through such approach that Ghanaians and even politicians are accepting the mandatory constitutional provision that states that there should be Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education for every Ghanaian child from kindergarten to Senior High School.
In his view that is the only way every Ghanaian child could attain a minimum High School education and noted with regret how politicians from the other divide were not interested in the compulsory element of the free education concept.
“Some were not interested in it; others ridiculed us, now the NPP has taken it up; the NDC has taken it up; the clergy and many religious bodies, parliament and other groups are all talking about it”, Dr. Nduom declared.
Despite the positive responses, Dr. Nduom said the PPP was still waiting for everyone to join the bandwagon of the compulsory element which would make it mandatory for government to enforce that the blind, the deaf and every parent sends their child to school.
He said the PPP has made real tangible suggestions on the national agenda and has demonstrated good leadership that works with a sense of urgency and that explains why the party has not rested in offering alternatives in good governance, health, economy, environment and many more.
To this end, Dr. Nduom encouraged PPP members to help expand the support base of the party by urging those who believe in the ideals of the party to “join us to become a more popular party,” and advised Ghanaians to vote with a mindset that “you vote for what they get.”
