Regarding Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s remarks about Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and the man who guided the country into independence in 1957, Professor Kofi Agyekum has entered the debate.
During his official unveiling in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, spoke to a sizable gathering of New Patriotic Party members and supporters. He made some remarks about Dr. Kwame Nkrumah that many find derogatory to the memory and standing of Ghana’s national hero.
He said; “Since independence from 1957 till today, we’ve 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 has protected Ghana and moved the country forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
Professor Kofi Agyekum, Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, responded to these remarks made during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” show by questioning why NAPO would denigrate Dr. Nkrumah.
Speaking negatively about Nkrumah, in his opinion, is tantamount to disparaging the many Ghanaians who have benefited from his projects. For this reason, if Dr. Opoku Prempeh had been left in charge, Nkrumah’s reputation would not have been damaged.
He called NAPO’s remarks impolite and advised the party’s leadership to handle him properly moving ahead.
If Opanyin Agyekum—as he is lovingly called—is not excellent at public speaking, he suggested that NAPO’s handlers compose his speech for him.
“Sit NAPO down and train him…This should be a lesson for him!”, he exclaimed.
