Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, widely known as NAPO, has revealed that his journey to political leadership was shaped by a childhood steeped in a culture of duty and public service.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Personality Profile with Emefa Adeti on July 17, the former Manhyia South MP and running mate to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer opened up about how his upbringing prepared him to sit at the “table of power” and drive transformative change.
“I was brought up to prove myself that I can sit at the table with decision makers, and not only the elderly, but a true decision maker,” NAPO declared, emphasizing that his path was not driven by ambition alone but by a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility. Raised in a politically engaged family with a decades-long legacy of partisan involvement, he was taught to prioritize impact over mere participation. “I was brought up to cherish one thing, public service, and not only public service, but bringing value through public service,” he said.
NAPO credited his formative years, surrounded by grand uncles and older relatives, for shaping his worldview. Despite their children being significantly older, he served them diligently, absorbing their values of leadership and service. “So brought up by grand uncles and uncles far older than myself, whose children were far older than me, and I served all of them,” he recounted. This environment instilled a commitment to public service that guided his choices from childhood, leading him to join organizations like the Boy Scouts, Red Cross Society, and serve as an altar boy.
For NAPO, public service is about impact, whether on an individual or societal level. Reflecting on his medical career, he described the profound satisfaction of saving lives through surgery, such as repairing a “strangled hernia or a rotten appendix” to relieve a patient’s agony. Yet, he sees politics as a platform for even greater transformation. “When you put it around being a politician with making decisions that are life-changing for suites of the society, probably forever,” he noted, the impact is boundless.
This ethos, NAPO explained, was “imprinted in my heart, mind, and everything I do.” His journey from a young boy in service-oriented associations to a key political figure reflects a lifelong dedication to making a difference. As he campaigns alongside the NPP flagbearer, NAPO’s vision remains rooted in the values of his upbringing: to lead, serve, and leave a lasting legacy for Ghana.
