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The flagbearer of the People's National Convention has sworn to deal a mortal blow to corruption if he is elected in the November election.

Dr. Edward Mahama believes the government has not shown enough commitment to fighting the canker which has robbed the country of its meager resources.

"I will deal a mortal blow to corruption before I leave office.

I will uphold wrongdoing in all its forms. I will not transfer people who have not performed or have been tainted with corruption to the presidency. I will give them a red card," he said in an exclusive interview with Myjoyonline.com.

In an interview that covered a wide range of topical issues affecting the country, the PNC leader was unequivocal on his promise to crack the whip on non-performing officials he appoints into office.

Dr. Edward Mahama is convinced current and past leaders have either failed to take responsibility for the tasks expected of them or have shown little supervision in ensuring that the right things are done.

He said the laxity in ensuring that the right thing is done has been the reason for the recurrent flood situation and power cuts in the country.

Flood

Dr. Edward Mahama says the floods which killed tens of Ghanaians in Accra last year and destroyed properties this year is nothing more than a leadership problem.

"If we want to get Accra out of the floods we have to go back and do a basic planning infrastructure pattern for the city.

Whilst conceding that the bad attitude of Ghanaians are part of the problem, he was quick to add that to blame the floods on attitudes is to shirk leadership responsibility.

He said an Edward Mahama government will implement the bye-laws that regulate activities of the city.

"Part of what I have seen to be the problem is that people are not given responsibility and also sanctioned when they don't perform that responsibility," he said .

He was emphatic that if he was in charge of government he will fire the ECG boss if he fails to carry out his responsibility to provide power to the people and for businesses to run.

"In Japan the head of ECG committed suicide when the power went off because it hadn't gone off for 100 years. He took responsibility for it. Here people don't take responsibility and those who are supervising them don't sanction them for that irresponsibility," he added.

IMF de javu

The PNC leader is not impressed with the latest IMF report which shows an improvement in Ghana's economy, and human development index.

If anything, Dr. Edward Mahama says the report is only a de javu which paints a glorious picture of an economy under an incumbent government only for a gloomy picture to be painted about that same economy when another government takes office.

" In 2000 IMF came and gave Ghana a good report that our country was doing well. 2001, president Kufuor comes into power and they told him you have to go HIPC. So the report in 2000 that we are doing well and the report in 2001 where we were forced to go into HIPC. How do we reconcile the two? It is the same thing happening now. When there is a change they will come and say the economy is so messed up because w e are living on borrowed money," he cited.

Komenda Sugar

The PNC leader applauded the John Mahama government for revamping the Komenda sugar factory, even though he believes it was a decision taken too late in the day.

"In 1996 when I first run, Dr. Hilla Liman took me to Komenda. That factory should have been working from that time. Better late than never. I am glad they have put it on. I am glad that the sugarcane farmers there will get something to do but the next thing that it was put it was shutdown," he stated.

Dr. Edward Mahama is making his fifth attempt at the presidency having contested from 1996 to 2016. He lost the 2012 presidential primary to Hassan Ayariga but was reelected as flagbearer in the PNC primaries held last year.

He believes 2017 will be his year of redemption and will finally taste the echelons of power.