The selection of a vice-presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been hot topic in the news since December 2023 when the party’s 2024 flagbearer, Mahamudu Bawumia, asked for more time to announce his running mate for the upcoming.
Since then, the media has been filled with speculations, polls, analyses, and expert opinions about the ideal running mate for the upcoming election and the potential benefits of selecting someone from a specific region.
Yesterday, on June 26, 2024, reports surfaced that Bawumia had suggested a name to President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo. Shortly, multiple media sources revealed that the individual in question was Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as Napo.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh, a respected in his royal lineage, is seen as a valuable asset in mobilizing support for the party in the upcoming 2024 elections. With a background as a trained healthcare professional, he has served as a lawmaker since 2009 and as a cabinet minister since 2017.
He contributes significantly to the team, but the opposition may also have strong criticisms for him. Here is a profile of the VP candidate as released by CERAWeek S&P Global:
WHO IS DR. MATTHEW OPOKU PREMPEH ?
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh serves as both the Minister for Energy and the Member of Parliament for the Manhyia South constituency in the Ashanti Region. He was born in Kumasi on May 23, 1968 and completed his primary, secondary, and tertiary education in the same city.
He graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (NUST) with Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Human Biology in 1992 and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB,ChB) degree in 1995.
After completing his House Officer training at Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from 1995 to 1997, Dr. Prempeh pursued further education at Erasmus University in The Netherlands and received a Master of Science (M.Sc) in Clinical Epidemiology in 1998.
After working in the United Kingdom and becoming a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in in 2002 Dr. Prempeh returned to Ghana in 2003 to pursue a career in business and politics.
He is also a Harvard Scholar and a graduate of the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program. In his political career, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh successfully ran for Parliament with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 general election, securing the seat to represent the constituents of Manhyia.
Following the division of the constituency, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Manhyia South Constituency in 2012. He successfully defended his seat in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Following the division of the constituency, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Manhy South Constituency in 2012. He successfully defended his seat in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Throughout his time in office, he effectively guided the team at the Ministry to achieve success with the government’s key education initiative, the Free Senior High School program, earning praise even from those in opposition.
His team successfully implemented curriculum and teacher reforms, as well as various initiatives to support and integrate Technical, Vocational Training and Education (TVET), among other accomplishments.
Following the NPP’s success in the 2020 general elections, President Akufo-addo appointed Dr. Prempeh as the Minister for Energy.
He has since championed various major projects including the completion of rural electrification (currently 86%) by 2024; renegotiation of Power Agreements; the revamping of Ghana’s cylinder manufacturing company and improvement of the cylinder recirculation model to meet Ghana’s clean energy goals; the establishment of a petroleum hub; revision of local content legislation, improving the efficiency of electricity producers and distributors; and relieving the energy debt stock of Ghana through the Energy Sector Recovery Programme (ESRP).
ACHIEVEMENTS
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was adjudged the best Minister in 2017 and 2019 and is the recipient of the 2020 Harvard Ministerial Medal of Achievement in recognition of his exemplary leadership style.
He has also received 2 Honorary Doctorates from the University of Education, Winneba and the University for Professional Studies, Accra, for his leadership and achievements as Education Minister.
He was also recently named in the top 25 Movers and Shakers in the Energy Sector by the African Energy Chamber.
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