Former Energy Minister and 2024 NPP vice-presidential candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has revealed that the controversy surrounding his comments on Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, was brought to the attention of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
According to NAPO, some individuals reported him to the Asantehene shortly after he made the remarks, claiming he had spoken negatively about Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
In a video to students at the University of Ghana, NAPO said that Otumfuo personally contacted him about the matter.
“The day after, he called me and said, ‘When are you coming to Kumasi? Because you have been reported to me,’” he recounted.
The former Manhyia South MP explained that he subsequently met the Asantehene and offered to provide the original recording of his speech to ensure that his comments could be assessed accurately.
“I said, ‘Your Majesty, I’ll get you the tape so that you hear exactly what I said,’” NAPO stated.
He claimed that when the person who initially reported him was later questioned, the individual struggled to substantiate the allegations that had been made against him.
According to NAPO, similar reports were also made to other prominent figures, creating what he described as a false impression about the content and intent of his remarks.
He maintained that much of the public backlash stemmed from interpretations of his comments rather than the actual words he used.
The controversy originated from remarks NAPO made during a political event, where he sought to compare the political ideals associated with Kwame Nkrumah to those of the United Party tradition, from which the New Patriotic Party traces its roots.
The comments sparked widespread public debate, with critics accusing him of disrespecting Ghana’s first President. However, NAPO has consistently denied making derogatory remarks about Nkrumah, insisting that his comments were taken out of context.
