The Concerned Youth of the Western Region have officially rejected the apology issued by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, commonly known as NAPO, following his controversial comments comparing the achievements of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, to those of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
During his unveiling as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate in Kumasi on Tuesday, Dr. Prempeh stated that no president since Ghana’s independence in 1957, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has contributed to Ghana’s development as significantly as President Akufo-Addo has since 2017.
“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,” Dr. Prempeh declared to an enthusiastic audience.
These remarks triggered widespread criticism, leading to Dr. Prempeh issuing an apology on July 12. However, during a press conference held in Takoradi, Professor Boakye Yiadom, representing the Concerned Youth of the Western Region, stated that the group finds the apology unacceptable.
“The Youth of the Western Region have just seen the apology from Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. By reading the apology, I realized that he indicated that it is his own opinion, and that is what we the youth of the Western Region reject completely,” Professor Yiadom remarked.
He further added, “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. 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 apologize unreservedly.”
The Concerned Youth of the Western Region remain steadfast in their demand for a more sincere and unreserved apology from Dr. Prempeh, reflecting the deep respect for the legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the significant contributions of Ghana’s former presidents.