The Concerned Youth of the Western Region have firmly rejected the apology issued by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh regarding his recent remarks comparing the achievements of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, to those of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The rejection follows comments made by Dr. Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, during his unveiling as the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi on Tuesday.
During the event, NAPO stated, “Since independence from 1957 till today, we have not had any president that has helped Ghana like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I say from 1957 till today, you can bring your Kwame Nkrumah… no president who has protected Ghana and moved the country forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
His statements were met with widespread condemnation, leading him to issue an official apology on July 12.
However, at a press conference on Friday in Takoradi, Professor Boakye Yiadom, a member of the Concerned Youth of Western Region, dismissed NAPO’s apology, stating, “The Youth of the Western region have just seen the apology from Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
By reading the apology, I realised that he indicated that it is his own opinion and that is what we the youth of the Western region reject completely. It is not his opinion and we must consider where he stood to make these comments and his position as the running mate for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.”
Professor Yiadom emphasized the lasting impact of NAPO’s remarks, saying, “The information he communicated has sunk into people’s ears and we reject this kind of apology. This has always been in his [NAPO] DNA and his group. We will not accept that he insults us anyhow. We call on him to tone down and come and apologise unreservedly.”
