Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh
Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh has revealed that he has been questioned by officials of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) over his tenure as the Minister of Education.
Although he did not disclose what necessitated the interrogation, he indicated he honoured the invitation and showed up for questioning.
He also disclosed that on one occasion, he had spent the whole day at NIB, and was likely to go back there again.
“People don’t know that I’ve been invited by the NIB to assist in investigations into some issues during my time at the Ministry of Education. I couldn’t have declined that invitation,” the former Member of Parliament for Manhyia South disclosed during an interview.
Napo emphasised that nobody can escape accountability, and stressed that the decision to appear before the state institution was out of respect and courtesy.
He also disclosed that he has appeared before the NIB on two separate occasions, and did his best to answer the queries, although he could not remember some of the issues raised about his term at the Education Ministry.
“I’ve forgotten some of the issues; I can’t remember everything that happened while I was in office. That is why we have technocrats and others who assist in running the ministry and keep records. For the issues I clearly remember, I spoke to them during the invitation,” Napo explained.
Dr. Opoku-Prempeh used the opportunity to caution the political class about how transient political power is, warning that time changes.
“I always say that those of us in politics should know that no condition is permanent. Today, you can be in power; the next day, you could be in opposition. So, politicians in power should always be mindful of what they do with the authority entrusted to them, so that if they are asked to account for their stewardship tomorrow, they can easily do so,” he added.
Napo is the latest former appointee of the erstwhile Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration to be questioned by state security institutions.
So far, the Attorney General has preferred charges against the former Executive Director of the National Signals Burreau, Kwabena Adu-Boahene for allegedly stealing GH¢49.1 million from the state.
Former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Solomon Asamoah and the erstwhile Board Chairman of the Fund, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi have also been charged for their alleged involvement in the dissipation of state funds in the non-existent Accra Skytrain project.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor is also investigating the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, for corruption and related offences, and has declared him wanted.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, spent seven days in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for the offence of allegedly causing financial loss to the state and money laundering.
Some other former appointees have also had their homes raided by the National Security for various reasons.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak