🇬🇭GhanaWest Africa
NAPO clarifies Nkrumah comments, states words were twisted
via GhanaWeb4 min read
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, a former NPP vice-presidential candidate, has clarified remarks he made about Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah. He insists he never intended to diminish Nkrumah's legacy and that his words were twisted. NAPO explained that his comments were made during an NPP political event to distinguish between the political values associated with Nkrumah and those of the United Party tradition, from which the NPP originates. He stated that he never said anything negative about Nkrumah, even in Twi, and compared the situation to football rivalries, where supporting one team does not imply disrespect for another. He maintained that the controversy arose from the interpretation of his remarks after they became public.
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Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a former Minister of Energy, stated that he was reported to influential traditional leaders, including the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, regarding comments he made about Kwame Nkrumah. According to Prempeh, the Asantehene contacted him the day after his speech, informing him of the report. Prempeh offered to provide the original recording of his speech to the Asantehene for direct assessment, rather than relying on second-hand accounts. He alleged that the individual who reported him later struggled to substantiate the claims. Prempeh also claimed that similar complaints were made to other respected figures, creating a false impression of his remarks and shifting the controversy from his original speech to differing interpretations of what was said.