A two-day Joyonline poll (October 5 – October 7) on which of the three key flag bearers can best fight corruption suggested, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), had a positive rating and was ahead of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the presidential campaign race to the Castle.

The poll said 38.90% of Ghanaians believed Dr. Nduom was the country’s only hope in fighting corruption, with 20.71% trusting Nana Akufo-Addo, and 37.53% saying President John Dramani Mahama can do better on the matter of attacking corruption.

Dr. Nduom moved ahead of Nana Akufo-Addo and President Dramani Mahama on which aspirant voters trust to tackle corruption in the country.

Many of the people who voted said they will vote for PPP parliamentary aspirants and Dr. Nduom as the new President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana in the December 7 poll because they believe he is the one who can offer an incorruptible government.

Speaking to a cross-section of Ghanaians on the poll, many agreed that it was evident from the results Ghanaians are talking loud about the necessity of incorruptibility in the governance of this nation in preparation for the December elections.

And this again undoubtedly shows that Ghanaians were listening to the unfailing message by Nduom that he seeks to metamorphose the face of politics in the country by running an incorruptible and competent government.

With Dr. Nduom’s bold step in facing the corruption menace fair and squarely in his four-point challenge to his obvious contenders on issues such as: the declaration of assets, declaration of party source of funding, making public income tax returns as well as submitting himself to a comprehensive medical examination at a health facility approved by the Ministry of Health before filling for nominations, many well-meaning Ghanaians are wondering why the other two contenders have not made good this challenge to practically prove their so-called incorruptibility.

Their only response was to be up in arms and hiding behind the fact that there was no specific constitutional provision in that regard.

Dr. Nduom’s argument is that, the buck of leadership stops at the doorstep of the president, hence it is incumbent on presidential candidates to show commitment to providing a corruption-free society as a means of ensuring effective management of the state’s resource to ensure rapid development.

To him, all presidential candidates making a firm commitment to these principles of incorruptible leadership, are pre-conditions that will prove two points to the populace: The first is that contrary to the age-long opinion that it is inerasable from the country’s body politic, corruption can be eradicated. And second, the presidential candidate is ready to fight corruption without any reservation.

The effectiveness and massive response to the PPP’s clarion calls again cannot be over-emphasised judging from a recent nationwide survey conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) which revealed that Ghanaian voters regard honesty and integrity as key qualities required from a leader in the forthcoming elections.

The study also solicited the views of 7,491 respondents to rank the best qualities of a good leader and in answering this, as high as 4,761 ranked honesty and integrity as the best qualities they expected to find in a leader.

The nationwide survey also sought the views of the respondents on the issue of corruption which had 239 responses (45.3 per cent) urging punishing corrupt officials severely to serve as deterrent to others.

The Joyonline poll also hint of the level of believability the electorate have in the aspirants…It is obvious Ghanaian discerning voters are seeing through the lies of some politicians who have all but paid lip-service to their heaven on earth promises.

It is as if the people in Ghana are listening to Dr. Nduom and the PPP’s call to them not to waste their vote on political parties that have disappointed or failed to improve their standard of living since the inception of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

The voters in this poll have obviously seen demonstrable specimens of the PPP flag bearer’s track record in pure and unadulterated leadership and hence their decisions to give him a try come December 7.