A pressure group by name ‘Concerned Youth of Western Region’ has appealed to chiefs in the region not to grant audience to the running mate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in their palaces following the latter’s show of disrespect towards Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
According to the group, the running mate commentary and comparison with Dr. Nkrumah was insulting, not only to the founder of Ghana, but the region as well.
Addressing a press conference in Takoradi, Professor Boakye Yiadom, a member of the pressure group urged chiefs to heed their call not to grant audience to the NPP running mate in the event he tries to pay them homage.
“We are urging all our chiefs not to accept him. We will not allow such a person to insult our leader and expect chiefs to host him. You know the implication when the chiefs tell him they will not allow him in their palaces”.
It would be recalled that the NPP running mate, during his unveiling rally in Kumasi, referred to Kwame Nkrumah as “your Kwame Nkrumah”.
This infamous statement attracted varied reactions and condemnation from the public with the Convention People Party (CPP), the party Nkrumah founded, demanding an unqualified apology from the NPP running mate.
Two days after making the statement, Matthew Opoku Prempeh issued a statement apologising with an explanation that, the statement he made was his personal opinion.
But the Concerned Youth of Western Region have rejected the apology saying they could not welcome it.
According to Professor Boakye Yiadom, “we have just seen the apology from Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. By reading the apology, I realised that he indicated that it is his own opinion and that is what we the youth of the Western region reject completely”.
He continued, “It is not his opinion and we must consider where he stood to make these comments and his position as the running mate for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Where he stood to say those things were not normal. The information he communicated has sunk into people’s ears and we reject this kind of apology”.
Professor Bokye Yiadom, who is a Lecturer at the Takoradi Technical University (TTU) maintained that “This has always been in his [NAPO] DNA and his group. We will not accept that he insults us anyhow. We call on him to tone down and come and apologise unreservedly.”
He used the opportunity to vehemently condemn, in the strongest terms, what he described as ‘the disdainful, degrading and derogatory remarks made by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh against the revered founding father of our nation, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
“It is utterly disgraceful and unacceptable for a man who seeks to hold the second-highest office in the land to spew such venomous words against a man who dedicated his life to the liberation and development of Ghana”.
To him, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy was etched in the annals of history, his vision and leadership paved the way for Ghana’s independence and progress.
For this reason, if NAPO was in full cognisance of the numerous achievements of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, he would not have strangely suggested that President Akufo Addo has outperformed the generational thinker, Dr.Kwame Nkrumah.
“But what’s even more egregious is his statement disparaging Dr. Nkrumah, referring to him as ‘your-so-called’ Kwame Nkrumah.
This blatant display of disrespect and pomposity towards Ghana’s founding father and first president is completely unacceptable and intolerable.
It beggars belief that a vice presidential candidate of a national party would so callously disregard the legacy of the most recognised and celebrated Ghanaian in history.
Dr. Nkrumah’s contributions to Ghana’s independence and development are second to none”, he said.
He warned that the youth of the Western Region would not remain silent “while our hero and icon, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, is disrespected and disparaged in such a demeaning fashion.
“We will mobilise, protest and make our voices heard loud and clear. We, the concerned youth of Western Region, demand with utmost urgency and unflagging resolve that Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh swallows his pride and retracts his offensive diatribes and renders an unreserved apology to the people of Western Region, Ghana, and the entire African of continent”.
