I had a very interesting conversation yesterday evening with a young Ghanaian-American entrepreneur who was born in the U.S. and has a business here - although she is actually resident in the U.S.
She had read yesterday's Ghanapolitics blog post and agreed wholeheartedly with us that cultural conditioning has a lot to do with the lack of progress on many fronts in Ghanaian society - particularly in our nation's politics.
To her - after what she referred to as the "...years of retrogression since the 4th Republic came into being, during which Ghanaians have suffered from misrule by the lackeys of neo-colonialsm, who seldom do any original thinking..." - it was a no-brainer that Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom is the best candidate for Ghanaians to elect as their nation's next President, in the November presidential election.
She was horrified that as a result of cultural conditioning, the presidential candidates of the duopoly made up of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) - that have governed Ghana since 1992 and which when in power are always beholden to the very vested interests divvying-up our nation's wealth - are considered the only viable presidential candidates by the vast majority of ordinary Ghanaians. ''How can that be?" she asked in amazement.
We both agreed that although on a purely human level, both President John Dramani Mahama and Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo are decent and affable gentlemen, at this critical juncture of our nation's history, it is crucial that the NDC/NPP duopoly's hold on power in Ghana is brought to an end, in this November's presidential and parliamentary elections - and that the baton of leadership is passed on to a President Paa Kwesi Nduom on 7/7/2017. Amen.
The plain truth is that high-level corruption is slowly bleeding Mother Ghana to death. That is why the NDC/NPP duopoly's hold on power must be broken and brought to an end in this November's presidential election.
Younger generation Ghanaians ought to understand clearly that neither the NDC nor the NPP can end high-level corruption in Ghana - for they are both equally opaque and ruthless political machines that have corruption built into their DNA.
In reality, the NDC and NPP both exist solely to enable a small cabal of clever and super-ruthless rogues to use them as special purpose legal vehicles to come to power, and take turns to rob Mother Ghana blind and gang-rape her on top of that - which is why their leading lights will neither commit to publicly publishing their assets and those of their spouses before the elections, nor commit to publicly publishing all the sources of their respective party's election campaign funds.
But not all Ghanaians are taken in by the guile of the NDC/NPP duopoly. Unfortunately for them, we are all not fools in Ghana, thank heavens.
That is why the discerning ones amongst ordinary Ghanaians often ponder why it is that ordinary people in this country should continue to suffer, when their homeland Ghana is a nation blessed with enough resources, to make it a very prosperous society.
The simple answer to that is that for Ghana to be turned into an African equivalent of the egalitarian societies of Scandinavia, it must be placed into the hands of leadership of the right calibre - made up of incorruptible, selfless and world-class individuals who are highly respected in their respective fields of human endeavour.
At this stage one has to think of the impressive legacy of Paa Kwesi Nduom - and how from a humble background and by dint of sheer hard work, unyielding determination and foresight he has built a world-class business empire spanning three continents that employs thousands, and creates wealth that mostly remains in Ghana.
How blind can Ghanaians be, I ask? Is that not precisely the kind of background the next President of Ghana ought to have?
The question then is: Will cultural conditioning allow a people - a majority of whose blinkered political philosophy is based on the antediluvian nation-wrecking and dangerous motto: "My party, my tribe, right or wrong!" - to come to the conclusion that it is now vital that the NDC/NPP duopoly's hold on power is finally ended?
And that for that reason, must Ghanaians elect a new leader for their country who can actually transform our benighted nation, into a prosperous society - because he or she has a stellar track-record of achievement under his or her belt to prove it?
As a practical and results-oriented leader Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom towers above all those who are vying for the presidency in this November's presidential election, including both the NDC/NPP duopoly's candidates, President John Dramani Mahama and Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.
If elected as President, Nduom will unify the deeply divided and polarised Ghanaian polity, as leader of a government of national unity made up of the brightest-and-best-in-field Ghanaians, from across the political spectrum.
When elected, a President Paa Kwesi Nduom will move rapidly to rebuild our hobbled national economy, and make sure that his government of national unity's economic policies benefit all hardworking Ghanaians - by using rhe purchasing power of the Ghanaian nation-state to provide them with ample opportunities to create wealth for themselves and their dependents.
As it happens, Nduom is already doing so in his private capaclty, by providing meaningful employment for the thousands of productive employees who are responsible for the operations of the nearly 50 or so businesses in his Groupe Nduom conglomerate - all of which are underpinned by an ethical ethos and managed by dedicated and honest men and women guided by corporate good governance principles.
Ghanaians, particularly the younger generation, whose collective and individual futures are at stake in this November's presidential election, must not allow cultural conditioning to let them sleepwalk into a disaster on polling day, by voting yet again for the NDC/NPP duopoly to be returned to power.
They must finally end the baleful influence of the NDC/NPP duopoly in Ghana by rejecting both their presidential candidates. Younger generation Ghanaians must plump instead for Paa Kwesi Nduom and vote to elect him as Ghana's next President.
Above all, younger generation Ghanaians must remember, on polling day, that unlike all the other presidential candidates, Nduom is absolutely determined to probe all the regimes that have held power since the 4th Republic came into being. He is not going to allow any of those who have swindled Mother Ghana whiles in power to get away with it. Power to him.
That is the mark of a genuinely patriotic and nationalistic Ghanaian leader who is truly commited to fighting high-level corruption and determined to finally bring it to an end.
In the supreme national interest, Nduom's government will hold all the past regimes in the 4th Republic - from that of President Rawlings through to that of President Kufuor, to the government of President Mills and that of President Mahama's administration - accountable for their actions and in actions whiles in power: to send a clear message to the world that the days of impunity in Ghana are finally over.
The untouchable Stan Dogbes and other denizens of the Flagstaff House will have no hiding place to run to then. Fantastic.
To show Ghanaians that he is in politics to serve his nation and all its people without exception - as opposed to wanting to get into power just to enable his family and friends to steal from the national treasury - Nduom is also committed to publicly publishing his assets and those of his dear wife Yvonne Nduom.
And he is also committed to publicity publishing all the sources of funding for the election campaign of the party he founded, the Progressive People's Party (PPP), which he also did before the 2012 elections.
The public publication of assets by politicians and their spouses, and the public publication of all the sources of the funds for the election campaigns of political parties, is something that is fundamental to the success of the fight against high-level corruption.
Yet, both President Mahama and Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, and their spouses, and their two parties that constitute the NDC/NPP duopoly, have all woefully failed to do so, thus far - a failing that should not be lost on discerning younger generation Ghanaians.
Their studious silence speaks volumes. This blog boldly predicts that the NDC/NPP duopoly and its leading lights will never opt for transparency in this particular matter.
Why do the voluble Maxwell Kofi Jumahs, the Sammy Awukus, Bernard Antwi-Boasiakos, John Boadus, the Dr. Mahamadu Bawumias, the Kyei Mensah Bonsus, Samuel Atta Akyeas, the Kokou Anyidohos, Philip Owusu Kwakyes, the Kofi Adams, the Kwadwo Twum Boafos and the Dr. Omane Boamahs, all suddenly lose their voices when it comes to this issue? How strange.
And why do the hosts of the media platforms that they exchange counter-accusations and shout at other so rudely on, never ask them whether or not they are prepared to publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses, and that of their parties - as their contribution to the fight against high-level corruption in Ghana, and to show Ghanaians that they are honest people who want to serve Ghana: and are not in politics with the aim of coming to power to loot from the national treasury? Odd, that.
Their strange inability to speak about this particular matter, is in sharp contrast to Nduom's public position. Nduom, it ought to be noted, is lucid when speaking about its importance, in the fight against high-level corruption in Ghana. Good man. Brave man. Sincere man. Patriot.
In light of all the above, it will be fair for this blog to say that Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom is most certainly, far and away the best candidate for Ghanaians to elect to become their nation's next President, after this November's presidential election. We rest our case.
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