NAPO agrees to meet Nkroful chiefs over his ‘your Nkrumah’ comment

The running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has reportedly agreed to honour a summon by the chiefs of the Western Region over his ‘your Nkrumah’ reference to Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

According to the District Chief Executive and NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Ellembelle Constituency, Kwasi Bonzo, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) has assured him he will come to Dr. Nkrumah’s hometown to render his apology to the chiefs for the comments he passed.

He added that plans are far advanced for NAPO to appear before the chiefs within the shortest possible time, 3news.com reports.

“I have spoken to him personally in my capacity as Ellembelle DCE and he has assured me that even after his national apology, all politics is local. He says he’s coming home, Kwame Nkrumah’s hometown, to meet the chiefs and the elders in the shortest possible time to render an unqualified apology, so that we can all move on as a people.

“So, we are working on fixing the date for him to render the apology. It had been agreed even before this press conference,” the DCE is quoted to have said.

Background:

Chiefs of the Nzema Traditional Area asked the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to apologise for comments made about Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at his unveiling ceremony in Kumasi on July 9.

Addressing the incident on behalf of the Nzema chiefs, in a video shared on X, Nana Kwasi Kutuah V rejected the initial apology of NAPO.

The traditional leader said the statement by NAPO was disrespectful and showed his disregard for the people of Nkroful and the Western Region.

According to the chief, the initial apology released in a statement by NAPO isn’t sufficient to be accepted by the traditional leaders of Nkroful.

He, therefore, charged NAPO to come and personally render an apology to appease the people of Nkroful.

It will be recalled that Dr. Opoku Prempeh, addressing a gathering of party bigwigs and supporters on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, for his official unveiling in Kumasi, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh emphasized that not even Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, comes close to President Akufo-Addo when it comes to spearheading development in the country’s history.

“It has never happened in the history of Ghana. If President Akufo-Addo retires, I can hit my chest and state that since the nation’s inception in 1957, there has not been a president who has helped the state more than Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“I am saying that from 1957 to now, whether you pick ‘your’ Kwame Nkrumah... there is nobody who has led Ghana and protected the country or developed Ghana more than Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he stated.

He defended his remarks on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, when he paid a call on the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II.

His comments championed calls for his resignation by a section of the public.

However, in a statement to apologise, NAPO said he didn’t mean to denigrate the former president or any other president.

BAI/AE

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