CELEBRATING A POLITICAL COLOSSUS, HON. DR. MATTHEW OPOKU PREMPEH – the Embodiment of Profundity, Compassion and Servant Leadership

Nelson Mandela of blessed memory once said that, “what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” If you are looking for one man in our part of the World who perfectly exemplifies this description, then look no further than Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. He is one of the very few men whose only preoccupation in life is to serve rather than be served.

Napo, as he is affectionately called, sees success and greatness especially in the political milieu as the extent to which man is able to work in furtherance of the welfare of his fellow man. It is for this reason that he has spent his entire adult life rendering selfless service to his people, party and country. Napo represents that garden that is full of sunflowers, so bright to the eye and so warm to the heart. He is that starry night, so magical and peaceful to the soul.

Dr. Prempeh appreciates that owing to the frailties of man, there is the need for leadership to be anchored on boldness and assertiveness in order to get man to do the right and sometimes difficult things for the desired outcome to be realized. This is the overarching principle underpinning his servant-leadership philosophy. Unfortunately, some people misconstrue this philosophy as a sign of arrogance, because, to them, assertiveness signals arrogance whereas docility signals humility.

What they forget is that docile leaders cannot achieve results especially in difficult situations, but decisive/assertive leaders can. Indeed, it took Napo’s assertiveness to see to the successful rollout of the Free SHS policy (the boldest social intervention in the nation’s education sector since Independence) within the first year of the Akufo-Addo government, at the time some senior members of the government were raising serious misgivings, claiming it was too early to do so.

Again, his assertiveness had ensured discipline in the petroleum industry and also guaranteed stable power supply in the country even during the times of unprecedented global economic crisis when every sector of the economy was crumbling. This has been the Napo story as Energy Minister for the past three years+ until the recent power challenges being experienced in some parts of the country owing to some technical and financial issues. Fortunately, we are beginning to see an end to this conundrum.

Napo is not only incorruptible and kind-hearted but also charismatic and an easy-going person with great sense of humour. That is why he is loved by many Ghanaians across the political divide. He appeals to the Young and the Old; the Male and the Female; the Poor and the Rich; the Muslim and the Christian; the Northerner and the Southernor; the Abled and the Challenged as well as the Have and the Have-Not.

It is therefore not surprising that there is an overwhelming clamour within the NPP and beyond for Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to be selected as the party’s Running Mate for the 2024 elections. These groundswells of endorsement he is receiving is purely ORGANIC, and a testament to his political astuteness, hard work and generosity. Indeed, there cannot be an overestimation of the number of individuals and families he has supported and continues to support.

No wonder both traditional and social media have been consistently awash with the Napo story, with people giving testimonies about how Napo has transformed their lives and livelihoods. Need I also say that he is the MOST DECORATED MINISTER OF STATE in our recent history, sweeping virtually every Award, local and international, for which he has been nominated.

The youth of the NPP and beyond love Napo to the core because he has rightly earned their love. Party executives from polling station to the national level love Napo because he has rightly earned their love. The entire Asanteman love Napo because he has rightly earned their love. His political and professional life is, without a doubt, replete with Meritorious Awards for EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP.

On the basis of the foregoing, one can confidently say that the selection of Napo as the NPP’s Running Mate (RM) by the grace of Allah, would add great impetus to the party’s agenda of breaking the 8. With Napo as RM, internal voter apathy in election 2024 will not be a problem because he is loved by the rank and file of the party. He is also a great mobilizer and a crowd-mover, and his political presence goes much beyond the Ashanti Region.

Further to this, the party’s flagbearer is generally seen as calm and soft-spoken, hence he needs an outspoken lieutenant to balance the ticket and to be able to give the NDC a run for their money. Again, as a technocrat as the flagbearer is, it is politically expedient to anticipate that the flagbearer may nominate a RM who is a strong career politician like Napo in order to keep faith with the NPP’s age-long tradition of always presenting a career politician and a technocrat in its presidential ticket. The NPP cannot just get it wrong with Napo. May Napo, and indeed, all of us continue to prosper.

Assalamu alaikum

Source: Iddi Muhayu-Deen, ESQ.