NAPO Comment Gets Him Into Trouble

Some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region have taken up arms against the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South and Minister of Energy, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, also known in political circles as Napo.

The members are outraged by Napo's recent remarks at Kumawu, in which he implied that the people of the Ashanti Region do not need development, but rather party paraphernalia, such as party T-shirts.

Kwabena Opoku Agyemang, accompanied by his two Deputies Ernest K. Youngman and Kakra Owusu, lamented that Napo has allowed his inexperience to guide him, imploring him to act more maturely in both words and actions, particularly when he mounts political platforms.

"A person of his stature and standing must not speak in such a manner. We believed he was well-positioned for a Vice Presidential position in the near future, but to make these derogatory remarks publicly against your people in the name of politics is dishonorable and intolerable, and we condemn such anti-party remarks with the utmost vehemence."

"The NPP is renowned for its dedication to prosperity, and this is evident everywhere we look. We expected Napo to campaign on the significant development and transformational changes our party has brought to the Ashanti Region during President Kufuor's eight-year regime and the current regime under President Akufo-Addo, but he instead chose to speak so naively, much to our dismay. How can he command the Ashanti Region while employing such anti-party rhetoric and mentality?

On a campaign platform at Kumawu prior to the bye-elections, Napo was captured on a viral video last weekend addressing party supporters, during which he told them not to worry about development and that because the Ashanti Region is an NPP stronghold and they would continue to vote for the NPP, all they needed were party T-shirts.

In an unexpected turn of events leading up to the just-concluded bye-election in Kumawu, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh predicted that the party would win the bye-election and subsequent ones using only party T-shirts and no campaigning.

"If we cannot organize campaign rallies, let's use our funds to print T-shirts and distribute them to our party faithful and everyone – after all, our NPP T-shirts are beautiful, and I doubt anyone will wear them and vote for another party," he suggested.

The by-election in Kumawu was necessitated by the demise of the area's Member of Parliament, the late Philip Attah Bassoah, which left the seat vacant.

The two main political parties, the NPP and the NDC, have vigorously campaigned for the seat over the past few weeks, with the NPP retaining the seat following its candidate's resounding victory at the polls.