Prempeh College, one of the prestigious Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the country, has named a dormitory block after the Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, at a colourful ceremony held on the premises of the school over the weekend.
An alumnus of the school, the honour, according to the school authorities, was in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards the transformation of the face of the institution in recent times.
Dr. Prempeh shared the prestige of the day with his paternal granduncle and mentor, former President J.A. Kufuor, also ‘an Amanfoo’ who had the biggest auditorium of the school named after him, “J.A. Kufuor Auditorium”.
The former President was also honoured in recognition of his outstanding leadership, making Prempeh College to earn at one time the accolade as the Presidential College.
In a keynote address, the Konongohene, Dr. Nana Awuah Abedimasa II, a Member of the school’s Interim Management Committee that worked until 10th May, 2023, recounted the immeasurable support the school had and continued to receive from Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
“Prempeh College is so personal to him and he never gets tired of us.In our difficult moments, he always pulls through for us. It was a no brainer, deciding to honour him this way”.
Nana Abedimasa said the former President and his grandnephew the Energy Minister were being honoured in their life time to serve as an inspiration to the rest of society moving away from old age practice of recognizing only the dead.
“Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has done tremendously well and for me, there are no questions conferring this life time honour on him”,
On his part, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh expressed his delight at the honour. “I want to reiterate my firm belief in making an impact in the society I find myself. After all that is the essence of leadership; to be able to positively affect lives”
“For me, everything I have done and continue to do for Prempeh College is also in honour of my grandfather, Otumfuo Nana Sir Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II whose true intention for establishing the college was to promote education not only in the Asante Kingdom but the entire country. I cannot depart from this sacred duty,” Dr. Prempeh said
The Manhyia South law maker advised the current cohort of students to place so much premium on their academic work as according to him, it is the key to realizing their dreams and even proceeding to become better in the near future.
The ceremony also witnessed the naming of another dormitory block after former headmaster of the school from 1961 to 1963, Mr. Arthur Clarke, “Arthur Clarke House”.
Meanwhile Ernest Best Anane reports that the Ashanti Regional Youth wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has congratulated Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Energy for his well-deserved award at the just ended 2022 Civil Service awards.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency had the honour of receiving an Office of the Head of Civil Service award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and support for reform initiative in the Civil service.
Raphael Patrick Sarfo, the Ashanti Regional youth organizer in a statement noted that
the enviable achievement has not come as a surprise to the Ashanti Regional NPP Youth wing because of several similar recognitions in years past.
He said it was worthwhile the Ashanti Regional Youth Wing joined celebration of the honourable minister who has demonstrated to Ghanaians that he has what is required of a leader in the public sector.
Mr. Sarfo recounted that, in the year 2020, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh alias Napo as Minister of Education prior to his appointment at the energy ministry was selected as recipient of the prestigious Havard Ministerial Medal of Achievement in recognition of his work as Minister for Education.
The Youth Organiser noted that, Dr. Prempeh’s leadership role as sector minister and the implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Programme, the management of the double-track system, payment of teachers, massive infrastructural development in the education sector and cooperation with the leadership of the various teacher unions and other Associations under the education ministry was highly commended not only by the Ghanaians but many around the world.
According to him, Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s achievements as former Education Minister is unprecedented and will go down in the history books of Ghana as one that shall be unforgettable.
“When he (Napo) was moved to the Energy Ministry in 2021 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, was adjudged the best performing minister by the Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards in the same year (2021)”, he said.
Pix 1: Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh received his award at the 2022 Civil Service Awards ceremony
