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The 2012 presidential candidate of the Progressive People�s Party (PPP) has urged President John Dramani Mahama to call members of the Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP,) a pro-NDC group, to order. According to Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, RAP has nothing to gain by �attacking his person.� Dr. Nduom was responding to a press release issued by RAP charging him to take up the corruption challenge. He pointed out that �perhaps these NDC-sponsored people [RAP] were asleep� when he launched the incorruptible leadership crusade on behalf of the PPP. The PPP flag-bearer indicated that he could not fathom RAP�s call, especially when he had made it public that the anti-corruption crusade was aimed at the entire Ghanaian society, and not the NDC or its leaders. �Why are they [RAP] so nervous that a� party like PPP according to them can stage a � demonstration (also according to them) about corruption?, Dr. Nduom quizzed. �Everyone must come clean � political leaders, ministers of state, MPs, business leaders, religious leaders, student leaders, senior and junior journalists, etc., etc. Everybody must make a personal commitment against corruption,� Dr. Nduom strongly recommended. Ghanaians, Dr. Nduom affirmed, have not seen �anything yet.� �There is no limit to this personal commitment I have taken against corruption. I will soon launch a fund to reward anti-corruption whistleblowers. Those who will not let sleeping dogs lie, will have themselves to blame,� the PPP flag-bearer further disclosed. Meanwhile Today has reprinted Dr. Nduom�s full statement which he read before the 2012 polls when he declared his income tax returns, assets and health status. Below is the statement: Ladies and Gentlemen, On 21st August 2012 I stood before the Ghanaian public to dedicate myself to a cause that is a crucial pre-requisite for lasting peace and prosperity � a crusade against corruption and an undying commitment to fundamental change of our political system in Ghana. This dedication sets me, Papa Kwesi Nduom and the Progressive People�s Party apart from the other presidential candidates and political parties. I am humbly asking all Ghanaians to vote for me Papa Kwesi Nduom and the PPP so that we can lead the crusade against corruption in order to bring lasting peace and prosperity to our dear motherland. On Friday, 7th December 2012 Judgement Day, Ghanaians will pass judgment on corruption, judgment debts and waste of public funds. This crusade against corruption is not just political talk. I have made an irreversible personal commitment to the principle of incorruptible leadership in a very practical sense. Incorruptible leadership is practical leadership that cannot be perverted, bribed, or corrupted. It is honest and just. It is this incorruptible integrity I am referring to. Corruption is expensive to the nation and its people. We estimate that corruption and waste of public funds costs the nation at least GHC3 billion. Imagine how many first class roads we can build with that money. Just think about how many complete school compounds with classrooms from kindergarten to senior high school, libraries, toilets, dining rooms, ICT centers, sports facilities and housing for teachers that we can build with that kind of money. We can facilitate the creation of millions of jobs, jobs, jobs for Ghanaians with GHC3 billion. We can stop preventable diseases such as malaria and cholera with that amount of money. That is how serious this crusade against corruption is. I threw a challenge to the presidential candidates of the NDC, the NPP and the other parties to demonstrate their personal commitment in concrete terms before the election. I suggested to all presidential candidates to disclose income tax returns, assets and sources of campaign funding. I also asked them to commit to support a package of three constitutional reforms that are essential to minimize corruption, give power back to the people by electing District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives, and increase competence in government to unleash accelerated development by removing the constitutional requirement to appoint ministers from parliament. On August 21st, I said that ��if anyone thinks this is a political game or a gimmick calculated to win votes, all you have to do is ask the leaders and presidential candidates of every other political party to respond to my challenge. Those who respond to my challenge are serious. And those who refuse are the ones playing political games with your future.� Well, we have waited several weeks and those other presidential candidates have 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. It is a fact that both Mahama and Akuffo-Addo are hiding behind a legal smokescreen saying that when a law compels them to be transparent and accountable, they will comply. Sadly, they miss the point that you lead from the front. Moral persuasion is the best teacher. Moral authority lasts a lifetime. My fellow Ghanaians, Now you have a real choice to make between pretenders and doers. While the pretenders talk, a doer like Papa Kwesi Nduom will take strong, bold steps and do what will make this nation great and strong by ridding this country of corruption. 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. Sadly, this standard I am setting is the accepted minimum practise in every economically advanced economy. In every country with a standard of living that we aspire to, presidential candidates must release this type of information. If we continue our historical voting pattern, we will continue to get our historical subpar results. This happens because we do not demand that our politicians meet the minimum standards necessary to be president. I am now pleased to present for exhibition income tax returns, all the asset declaration documents presented to the Auditor-General and a statement from our National Treasurer on sources of PPP�s campaign funding. Let me state clearly that the PPP has complied fully with the political party�s law in all respects with regard to the funding of the party. It is our members and known supporters who have made it possible for us to come this far. This is very important because we do not want foreign governments, suppliers and contractors to buy elections in this country and put puppets in power to serve their interests. We do not want stolen money or drug money to influence our voting choices. As oil and gas investment opportunities expand in this country, we need a political party to hold power with a clean heart and mind. We want transparency and accountability to come to stay in Ghana. Please examine these documents carefully. You will find that I have been paying taxes to the governments of Ghana and the USA since the early 1980s. If you want copies, provide your name, the organisation you work for, address, telephone number and email address and we will provide them to you after making the necessary legal arrangements. I assure you that as President of the Republic of Ghana, I will ensure swift passage of the Freedom of Information Bill so that you can have easy access to documents such as asset declarations made by politicians and public officials. Fellow Ghanaians, From the beginning of the 4th Republic, I have written at length about how the winner-takes-all nature of our political system destroys the hopes and aspirations of our people. I have written extensively about the negative attitude of those who win power towards Ghanaians who are not perceived to be members or allies of their party. This remains one of the most critical problems that is holding our nation back today. This problem has allowed governments to continue to act with impunity. The Ghana Revenue Authority, SFO, BNI and other state agencies have been and continue to be used as a hammer to punish and silence those who the people in power do not like. One of the reasons why I got into politics, besides knowing that public service is honorable, is to prevent entrepreneurs and other people from being victimized, the way I was victimized by the NDC1 Government, using the dictatorial powers given under the 1992 constitution. Because of politics, in one 24 hour period, all contracts my company at that time, Deloitte & Touche had with companies affiliated with governments were cancelled with no reasons given and fees worth more than $1 million were not paid. Invoices submitted to them were not honoured setting the stage for potential judgment debt. So far, I have resisted the temptation to seek a legal solution to this act of dictatorial impunity. Now you know that judgment or settlement debts have arisen because of the type of politics we have been practicing that gives everything to those who win and nothing to the rest of Ghanaians. This is why the PPP is offering Ghanaians constitutional reform NOW. We have told the public that we will work to end the elected dictatorship of the Ghanaian presidency within one term. We will elect our district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives to force them to be accountable for their failures, like the Melcom disaster and provide local support to unleash local development; separate the Attorney General�s office from the Ministry of Justice to stop Woyome-type matters and minimize corruption; and remove the requirement that the majority of Ministers of State must be Parliamentarians so we can put qualified experts with a track record of success in charge of our Ministries. The PPP is the only political party with the political will to get this done in one term. 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 lifetime. Ladies and Gentlemen, It is obvious that the PPP is unique. It is the only political party that is going to the people to discuss what its people can do to unite the country, raise the quality of Ghanaian life and solve the problems that confront us � no insults, no disrespect, no inciting people to violent behavior yet aggressively organizing and gaining strength from community to community. The PPP is the only party that has committed itself to demonstrating the competence of its leaders and to fight corruption starting with its leadership. The PPP is deeply disturbed by the enormous task left undone across the country. The level of deprivation, poverty and inhumane conditions across the country contrasts sharply with the political talk and propaganda by those who wish to take credit for work they have not done. We know that state-sponsored corruption must be checked effectively in order to improve the human conditions of all Ghanaians. We want the change that Ghana needs to start with us. Ladies and Gentlemen, There is no better Ghana anywhere in the country. While people sit in air-conditioned offices and media houses to engage in endless arguments over statistics, the people out there are expressing their anger at the slow pace of development. The people are tired of poverty in all its forms � disease infected water they drink, dangerous roads, low quality of education, poor housing, preventable diseases and very, very high unemployment. If we do not take care, many of our people will simply get tired of voting, lose faith in the democratic form of government and take matters into their own hands. Out there in the country, there is no hope for a better Ghana. Ghanaians are looking for redemption and the PPP has made itself abundantly available, running to the rescue of our people. The PPP, the party of the bright red sun is the best alternative and a serious contender to win political power in 2012. I humbly and strongly urge all Ghanaians to make Friday, 7th December a judgment day by voting massively to make Papa Kwesi Nduom, Eva Lokko President and Vice President to be sworn into office in January 2013. I am reminded of a happy encounter last night at Awutu Breku when a young woman ran up to me and shouted, ��Edwumawura, they tell us that if we vote for you, we will waste our vote. I don�t care. You are the one I like. You will bring jobs so I will vote for you. And I will tell my friends to vote for you too!� My fellow Ghanaians, When everyone who believes in PPP, Votes for PPP, PPP WILL WIN! Give PPP a Chance. Thank you, God Bless our Homeland Ghana Papa Kwesi Nduom December 5 2012