Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, a former General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has said Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh got choked during his Kwame Nkrumah-Akufo-Addo comparison because he wanted to add John Agyekum Kufuor’s name.
The Public Relations expert has disclosed that the moment Dr. Opoku Prempeh, also known as Nana Poku (NAPO), mentioned Osagyefo Dr. Nkrumah’s name, she said prayed that he bit his tongue, adding she believes it was the reason he got choked when he allegedly attempted adding former President Kufuor to the equation.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day Thursday, July 11, 2024, the former CPP General Secretary expressed disappointment with Bawumia’s running mate for his attempt to demean the performance of his own granduncle, John Agyekum Kufuor, adding that he couldn’t continue on that tangent probably because of her prayer.
“When I was watching from home, immediately he mentioned Kwame Nkrumah, I said Nana Poku ‘ka wo tɛkyerɛma‘ (to wit bite your tongue) and he stopped. Because he was actually going to mention Kufuor, that is why he choked.
“He was going to mention other names and he choked. He nearly mentioned Kufuor’s name that’s why he choked. He said everybody from 1957 and Kufuor is in there –his granduncle. I’m from the same home [with Nana Poku]. Nana Poku, you are now telling us your granduncle didn’t do anything? Nana Addo is better than your own granduncle who everybody said did well?
“Even if he had mentioned His Excellency John Dramani Mahama’s name… I don’t think he was even part of the pack because the next one that choked him was Kufuor’s name,” she alleged.
When host, Naa Ashorkor, insisted that she can’t conclude NAPO was going to mention Kufuor since it didn’t come out of his mouth, and that she should stick to what he actually said, Nana Yaa Jantuah retorted that “if he was going to mention John Mahama’s name, would he have stopped? I mean that one it’s easy to mention. He was going to mention Kufuor so he just choked, he just stopped.”
Background
During his unveiling at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi Tuesday, July 09, 2024, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said among other things that no president of Ghana has developed the country more than President Akufo-Addo, not even Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
“I can boldly say that if the history of Ghana is told from 1957, we have never had a president that has helped Ghana more than Nana Akufo-Addo. I mean from 1957, even including your Kwame Nkrumah, none of them has protected Ghana and developed the country more than Nana Akufo-Addo,” he said at his official unveiling event at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi on July 9, 2024.
He stressed that, “President Akufo-Addo has developed this country to the admiration of all. Therefore, we will not allow what happened in 2008 to repeat itself. It will be most appropriate for Nana Akufo-Addo to hand over to his junior brother, Dr Bawumia.”
But his comment has sparked controversy among Ghanaians, leading to the Convention Peoples Party calling on him to apologise.
The CPP said in a statement that: “The Convention People’s Party calls on the Honourable Minister, within 24 hours, to do the ‘Honourable’ thing for the sake of the Country’s image, and immediately resign from all Governmental and political positions, and issue an immediate apology and retraction.
“Failing which the party calls on His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to withdraw the Hon. Minister from his position as Minister of Energy, and also calls on His Excellency Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to withdraw him as his Vice Presidential candidate, for the sake of the Country’s image, and its long term political and economic fortunes. Ghanaians and Nkrumaist’s worldwide, will have no choice but to hit the streets to register their displeasure if the above, or similar measures, are not immediately enforced within 24 hours.
“As the popular saying goes, “one who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off”, there is an election to be fought, albeit at the ballot box, and it would serve the sitting Government well to heed the voice of the people, lest their imminent electoral defeat becomes even worse than it is predicted to be,” the statement added.
