Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party, (CPP), Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom has enjoined Ghanaians to pray to God for renewed and committed leadership. He said after 51 years of Independence, Ghanaians are still grappling with so many basic necessities that other nations take for granted, such as water, requiring that Ghanaians pray for a leadership that will provide solutions to the basic problems. Borrowing from the CPP’s maxim of organisation decides everything, Dr. Nduom, who spoke to Joy FM said ‘leadership decides everything’, and added it is nauseating to hear regular references to the Malaysias and Koreas of this world and how much progress they have made while no effort is made at finding out what they had to do to be where they are. “With everything it is leadership, it is leadership that brings about the renewal, it is leadership that encourages the people. You know in Ghana, sometimes to the annoyance of many we keep talking about Korea, Singapore, Malaysia; all those people who were behind us at independence, but then no one wants to talk about the things that they did, the discipline in the society, the discipline with the leadership, the determination of the leadership to go beyond what the people can see for themselves…I just yesterday went back to look at Korea, and you know, the 1970s, the leader in the 1970s, General Park told the people that he was going to get them to a $1000 per capita within eight years and people laughed at him. And indeed he got it done in five years, and then they supported. But then he was determined to use the powers of the state to ensure that his people were better off. “I think it’s about time we basically look at our leadership and challenge them, that you can’t just come and do some of the same and leave us with the same problems. That is the renewal that I am asking Ghanaians; let’s look at this time around and look for proper renewal and better leadership and a leadership that is determined to work with a sense of urgency and we should pray to God that we get that sort of leadership this time around.” Dr. Nduom who is currently on a campaign tour of the Central Region after rounding off a tour of the Western Region on Sunday when worshipped with Christians at the Star of the Sea Cathedral, Takoradi, on the occasion of Easter, said in many places he went, particularly at Elmina, many who came to him were asking for water. “I know that everyone who has come to Ghana to lead, whether they are military or civilians, they have all come with very good intentions and some have done very good things for Ghana. But in spite of all of that…everywhere that I go; in some of the villages in Elmina, yesterday they were coming to me to look for water, the secondary school next to my hotel in Elmina there is no water, basic things. If you talk about rail line, what was done in the 50s and 60s that is all, nothing has been added to it. I mean so many things that others take for granted in the world today is a problem and jobs is a problem so all I’m saying is that we need to look for something different, some renewal, something bigger, something greater, something different from what we’ve been used to… “I’m just asking everybody, not just Christians, Moslems, everyone, this period let’s dedicate our lives in Ghana to look for something new, some renewal, something that will give us hope and bring something better to all of us.” Author: Isaac Yeboah