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 by | John Peter Amewu |
Minister of Education | |
In office 10 January 2017 – 6 January 2021 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Matthew Opoku Prempeh 23 May 1968 Pakyi No 2, Ghana |
Political party | New Patriotic Party |
Alma mater | Prempeh College Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology |
Occupation | Politician |
Profession | Medical doctor |
Committees | Defense and Interior Committee; Appointments Committee |
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]
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(certificate course).[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]
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]
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.[26]
Prempeh College named a dormitory block after him on 17 June 2023 [27]
References
- ^ "NAPO reacts to $1.2M World Bank cash controversy". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Matthew Opoku Prempeh is Minister designate for Education". Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "Napo Leads Covid-19 Stigma Fight". DailyGuide Network. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ "Matthew Opoku Prempeh names library complex after late Queen Mother of Ashanti Kingdom". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ "Projects by government to solve energy crisis near completion – Matthew Opoku Prempeh - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh | Ministry of Energy". www.energymin.gov.gh. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Relocation of Ameri plant will stabilise power - Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh". Graphic Online. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Matthew Opoku Prempeh: All you need to know about the trained medical doctor". Pulse Ghana. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "H.E. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh". WISE. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Annang, Adolphus. "Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh – Education - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "Hon Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh - Speakers". Education World Forum. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Prempeh, Matthew Opoku (Dr)". www.ghanamps.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ Ghana, ICT Dept. Office of Parliament. "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ FM, Peace. "Ghana Election 2016 Results - Manhyia South Constituency". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ FM, Peace. "Manhyia South Constituency Results - Election 2020". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ a b c FM, Citi. "Arts Minister Catherine Afeku makes it to Cabinet". ghanaweb.com. ghanaweb. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "We've initiated 1,011 SHS projects since 2017— NAPO". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
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- ^ a b c "UCC to honour Dr Opoku Prempeh on July 29". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ "Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Biography". mobile.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
- ^ "News". University of Cape Coast. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ "Group donates to schools to mark NAPO's 54th birthday". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ Online, Peace FM. "Prempeh College Honors Energy Minister; Names Dormitory 'Matthew Opoku Prempeh House' After Him". Peacefmonline.com - Ghana news. Retrieved 6 September 2023.