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Matthew Opoku Prempeh

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Hon. Dr,
Matthew Opoku Prempeh
Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 January 2009
Minister of Energy
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 January 2021
Preceded byJohn Peter Amewu
Minister of Education
In office
10 January 2017 – 6 January 2021
Personal details
Born
Matthew Opoku Prempeh

(1968-05-23) 23 May 1968 (age 56)
Pakyi No 2, Ghana
Political partyNew Patriotic Party
Alma materPrempeh College
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kennedy School of Government
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionMedical doctor
CommitteesDefense and Interior Committee; Appointments Committee

Matthew Opoku Prempeh (born 23 May 1968) is a Ghanaian medical doctor and politician. He is the vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party for the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.[1] He is the Member of Parliament for the Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He is a former Minister of Education.[2] He is popularly known as NAPO, an acronym for his traditional name, Nana Poku.[3][4][5] He served as the Minister of Energy from 2021 to 2024.[6][7][8][9]

Early life and education

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Matthew Opoku Prempeh was born on 23 May 1968 in Ashanti New Town, a suburb of Kumasi, and hails from Pakyi No. 2 in the Ashanti Region.[10] Born to Oheneba Kwame Kyeretwie and Madam Elizabeth Akosua Nyarko, NAPO’s father was one of the many sons of the 14th Asantehene, Otumfuo Agyemang Prempeh II.[11]

He started his basic education at KNUST Primary and continued to Prempeh College in Kumasi, Ashanti Region of Ghana, for his middle school education.[12]

He studied Human Biology and Medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and completed his MB CHB in 1994. He continued with post-graduate studies in MSc. Clinical Epidemiology at the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences in 1998[13] and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he studied Leadership and Government(certificate course).[14][15] In 2002, he pursued postgraduate training in surgery in the UK (MRCS).

Career

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Prior to entering parliament, Prempeh served as CEO of Keyedmap Security Services Limited from 2004 to 2009.[10] He is also a medical doctor [16] and served as a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2003.[17]

Politics

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Member of parliament

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As a Member of Parliament, he represents Manhyia South in Kumasi, formerly Manhyia Constituency.[14] He was first elected to parliament in 2008 and got re-elected in 2012. In 2016, he secured a third term in Parliament by obtaining 35,958 votes, or 87.17% of the total valid votes cast in the constituency.[18] Prempeh again contested his seat in the 2020 Ghanaian general election and won by a large margin.[19] Prempeh won his party's internal election to contest the 2024 elections as Parliamentary candidate, but stepped down following his nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP by Mahamudu Bawumia.[20]Prempeh is a member of the Defense and Interior Committee and also of the Appointments Committee of Parliament.[10]

Minister of Education

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He was appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo on 10 January 2017 to serve as Minister for Education in Ghana.[14] He served in that role for 4 years until 6 January 2021 when the tenure of the president and his ministers ended.

In May 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo named Prempeh as one of the nineteen ministers in his cabinet.[21] The names of the 19 ministers were submitted to Parliament and announced by Speaker, Mike Ocquaye.[21] As a Cabinet minister, Prempeh was part of the inner circle of the president and helped in making key decisions for the country.[21]

Prempeh also contributed to the educational sector of Ghana as a Minister of Education, such as improving the infrastructure, promoting vocational and technical education (TVET), and leading the implementation of the government's free senior high school policy.[22][23]

Minister of Energy

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After the NPP victory in the 2020 elections, Prempeh was appointed Minister for Energy. He served in this role from 2021 until July 2024 when he resigned to concentrate on campaigning for the general election following his selection as Vice Presidential candidate too Mahamudu Bawumia.[24]

2024 General Elections

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Dr Mahamudu Bawumia selected Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his running mate for the 2024 general elections. [25] His appointment as the vice presidential candidate was also endorsed by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).[26]

Honours

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In May 2021, the University of Education Winneba conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate Degree.[27] In July 2021, the University of Professional Studies also awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.[27] The University of Cape Coast is the latest institution to recognize Dr. Prempeh’s contributions to the development of Ghana and his immense service to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.[27][28] In May 2022, a group by the name of Friends of NAPO presented some educational materials to schools in the Manhyia South Constituency to mark his 54th birthday.[29] Prempeh College named a dormitory block after him on 17 June 2023.[30]

In November 2024, a newly constructed hostel at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) was named after him in recognition of his contributions to education.[31]

References

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  1. ^ "Ghana's presidential candidate Bawumia chooses energy minister as running mate". Africanews. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  2. ^ "NAPO reacts to $1.2M World Bank cash controversy". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Matthew Opoku Prempeh is Minister designate for Education". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Napo Leads Covid-19 Stigma Fight". DailyGuide Network. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Matthew Opoku Prempeh names library complex after late Queen Mother of Ashanti Kingdom". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Projects by government to solve energy crisis near completion – Matthew Opoku Prempeh - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh | Ministry of Energy". www.energymin.gov.gh. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Relocation of Ameri plant will stabilise power - Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Graphic Online. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  11. ^ "All you need to know about the man Nana Poku alias NAPO". 3News. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Matthew Opoku Prempeh: All you need to know about the trained medical doctor". Pulse Ghana. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  13. ^ "H.E. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Wise. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  14. ^ a b c Annang, Adolphus. "Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh – Education - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  15. ^ "Hon Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh - Speakers". Education World Forum. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Prempeh, Matthew Opoku (Dr)". www.ghanamps.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  18. ^ "Ghana Election 2016 Results - Manhyia South Constituency". Peace FM. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  19. ^ "Manhyia South Constituency Results - Election 2020". Peace FM. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Bawumia picks NAPO, submits name as running mate to Akufo-Addo".
  21. ^ a b c "Arts Minister Catherine Afeku makes it to Cabinet". ghanaweb.com. ghanaweb. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  22. ^ "We've initiated 1,011 SHS projects since 2017— NAPO". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  23. ^ "We've invested over $800 million in education sector since 2017 – Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Akufo-Addo Accepts Napo's resignation as Energy Minister".
  25. ^ "Vice President Bawumia officially unveils running mate". Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Profile of Bawumia's running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh - MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  27. ^ a b c "UCC to honour Dr Opoku Prempeh on July 29". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  28. ^ "News". University of Cape Coast. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  29. ^ "Group donates to schools to mark NAPO's 54th birthday". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Prempeh College Honors Energy Minister; Names Dormitory 'Matthew Opoku Prempeh House' After Him". Peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  31. ^ https://www.myjoyonline.com/upsa-names-hostel-after-napo-for-outstanding-contributions-to-education/
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