Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh
One of the greatest attributes of a good leader is that person’s ability to render an apology for an action that has offended the sensibilities of others.
It is a mark of maturity and the recognition that whatever strong conviction, that personality must be able to reflect and concede that he or she did not act or speak well.
About two weeks ago, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) organised the biggest crowd-pulling events in Kumasi to introduce the running mate to the presidential candidate of the party. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, alias Napo, after months of speculation was introduced to the crowd by the Vice President of the Republic and presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
In his youthful exuberance to excite the teeming crowd, Napo made a comparison that has ruffled feathers in the CPP camp and those who think Kwame Nkrumah was super human.
Under normal circumstances, such comparison on a political platform is to be expected, but the naysayers, as usual took it out of context for political reasons. The irony of the fallout is the sudden “resurrection” of the CPP, that with less than five months to the polls has no substantive leader and offices across the country.
This debate is not new between the CPP and the UP tradition, but coming from Napo, who they perceive as arrogant and disrespectful, the naysayers must for political expediency make a mountain out of an anthill. It has been the strategy of enemies of the UP tradition to tag them as elitist and arrogant. Remember, they did the same thing to President Akufo-Addo in 2008, claiming that candidate Akufo-Addo’s victory would pose existential threat to the country.
President Akufo-Addo did not win in 2008 and 2012, but his efforts were rewarded in 2016. Since then, however, President Akufo-Addo has run an open administration during which those having divergent position do not only express their disagreements but attack his person as well.
The people who claim the NPP government has stifled free speech are the loudest on the media space. When these elements who have constituted themselves into a gang of doomsday prophets drive home after their programmes without anyone raising a finger, they refuse to tell their audiences that in contrast to his beliefs, Ghana is indeed a free country.
President Akufo-Addo and his government, no matter the “verdict” out there in the opposition circles including their allies in the media and civil society, President Akufo-Addo is the most tolerant leader of our generation. Nevertheless, we think the experiences that Napo has gone through over the last few days, he should learn from the dictum that, “certain things are better said but silence”. That is why again our elders say “silence is golden”.
While the CPP fraternity has issued ultimatum to Napo to retract and apologise or else its supporters would demonstrate, one of the sons of Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Nkrumah says his father was a dictator. We have always called on Ghanaians who are more than 50 years to share their experiences under the CPP, as against the air of freedom blowing all over the country to the extent that every citizen no matter his or status can challenge any government.
To Napo, we can assure him to remain focused but desist from utterances that would attract reactions just meant to get him to take his eyes off the ball. We do not intend to advise you to brush aside the groundswell of protest that greeted your remark, but try and learn lessons from it and make a personal resolution that, “never again.”