Matthew Opoku Prempeh

Matthew Opoku Prempeh (born 23 May 1968) is a Ghanaian medical doctor and politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and a Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He is a former Minister of Education.[1] He is popularly known as NAPO.[2][3][4] He is currently the Minister of Energy.[5][6][7][8]

Hon. Dr,
Matthew Opoku Prempeh
Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency
Assumed office
7 January 2009
Minister of Energy
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
Pakyi No 2, Ghana
Political partyNew Patriotic Party
Alma materPrempeh College
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Harvard Kennedy School
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionMedical doctor
CommitteesDefense and Interior Committee; Appointments Committee

Early life and education

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.[9]

He started his basic education at KNUST Primary and continued to Prempeh College in Kumasi, Ashanti Region of Ghana, for his middle school education.[10]

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[11] and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he studied Leadership and Government.[12][13] In 2002, he pursued postgraduate training in surgery in the UK (MRCS).

Career

Prior to entering parliament, Prempeh served as CEO of Keyedmap Security Services Limited from 2004 to 2009.[9] He is also a medical doctor [14] and served as a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2003.[15]

Politics

Member of parliament

As a Ghanaian parliamentarian, he represents Manhyia South in Kumasi, formerly representing Manhyia.[12] He was first elected to parliament in 2008 and is a member of the New Patriotic Party.[9] In 2016, he was re-elected with 35,958 votes, or 87.17% of the votes cast in the district.[16] He was a member of the health committee and the appointments committee. Prempeh contested the 2020 Ghanaian general election as a parliamentary candidate for the Manhyia South constituency under the banner of the New Patriotic Party and won by a large margin.[17]

Minister of Education

He was appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo on 10 January 2017 to serve as Minister for Education in Ghana.[12] 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 who would form his cabinet.[18] The names of the 19 ministers were submitted to the Parliament of Ghana and announced by the former Speaker of the House, Mike Ocquaye.[18] As a Cabinet minister, Prempeh was part of the inner circle of the president and was to aid in key decision-making activities in the country.[18]

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 government's flagship programme ''FREE SHS''.[19][20]

Minister of Energy

In 2021, the President of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo, after being re-elected as President, named Dr. Mattew Opoku Prempeh as Minister of Energy.[21][22] He had previously served as the Minister of Education for President Nana Akuffo-Addo's first term.[12]

Committees

Prempeh is a member of the Defense and Interior Committee and also of the Appointments Committee.[9]

Awards

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was adjudged the best Minister in Ghana in 2017 and 2019. He was also the recipient of the 2020 Harvard Ministerial Medal of Achievement.

In May 2021, the University of Education Winneba conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate Degree.[23]

In July 2021, the University of Professional Studies also awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.[23]

As a member of the Parliament of Ghana, he represents Manhyia South in Kumasi, formerly representing Manhyia.[24]

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.[23][25]

Personal life

He identifies as a Christian[9] and is the grandson of the former Ghanaian president, John Kufuor.[26] He is divorced.[14]

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.[27]

Prempeh College named a dormitory block after him on 17 June 2023 [28]

References
  1. "NAPO reacts to $1.2M World Bank cash controversy". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  2. "Matthew Opoku Prempeh is Minister designate for Education". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  3. "Napo Leads Covid-19 Stigma Fight". DailyGuide Network. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. "Matthew Opoku Prempeh names library complex after late Queen Mother of Ashanti Kingdom". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  5. "Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. "Projects by government to solve energy crisis near completion – Matthew Opoku Prempeh - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  7. "Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh | Ministry of Energy". www.energymin.gov.gh. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  8. "Relocation of Ameri plant will stabilise power - Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Graphic Online. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  9. "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  10. "Matthew Opoku Prempeh: All you need to know about the trained medical doctor". Pulse Ghana. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  11. "H.E. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh". WISE. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  12. Annang, Adolphus. "Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh – Education - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  13. "Hon Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh - Speakers". Education World Forum. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  14. "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Prempeh, Matthew Opoku (Dr)". www.ghanamps.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  15. Ghana, ICT Dept. Office of Parliament. "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  16. FM, Peace. "Ghana Election 2016 Results - Manhyia South Constituency". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  17. FM, Peace. "Manhyia South Constituency Results - Election 2020". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  18. FM, Citi. "Arts Minister Catherine Afeku makes it to Cabinet". ghanaweb.com. ghanaweb. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  19. "We've initiated 1,011 SHS projects since 2017— NAPO". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  20. "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.
  21. "Energy Minister scheduled to speak on Ghana's near-term opportunities at NAEPEC 2023". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  22. https://www.facebook.com/anine.kilian (19 November 2021). "Ghana's Minister of Energy Hon. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh Confirms as VIP Speaker at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021". Retrieved 17 August 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |last= (help)
  23. "UCC to honour Dr Opoku Prempeh on July 29". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  24. "Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Biography". mobile.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  25. "News". University of Cape Coast. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  26. "Kufuor Grandson Joins Race". ModernGhana.com. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  27. "Group donates to schools to mark NAPO's 54th birthday". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  28. Online, Peace FM. "Prempeh College Honors Energy Minister; Names Dormitory 'Matthew Opoku Prempeh House' After Him". Peacefmonline.com - Ghana news. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
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