Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, says his political journey stems not from personal ambition, but from a lifelong duty to serve—a value instilled in him from childhood.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Personality Profile with Emefa Adeti, the former Manhyia South MP and running mate to the NPP flagbearer shared that he was raised to lead and make impactful decisions.
“I would say that is how I was brought up,” he said. “I was brought up in a very politically aware family with a history of decades of partisan politics or active political life.”
According to him, this environment nurtured a deep appreciation for leadership, service, and value-driven action.
“I was brought up to cherish one thing, public service, and not only public service, but bringing value through public service and for public service, meaning you just don’t participate. You participate in terms of regular impact.”
NAPO stressed that the lessons he received were not passive—they came with expectations to prove his worth and actively engage in decision-making spaces.
“That is how I was brought up, 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.”
He revealed that much of this influence came from grand uncles and older relatives, whose own children were much older than him, but whom he diligently served.
“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, so that’s how I was brought up.”
This deep sense of duty shaped all aspects of his life—even the social groups he chose as a child.
“So me growing up having public service has been a duty that has been imprinted in my heart, mind, and everything I do, so even deciding to belong to which associations growing up were all the associations that brought public service to the fore.”
He cited early involvement in groups like the Boy Scouts, Red Cross, and as an altar boy as formative experiences that prepared him for a life of service.
“Like joining Boy Scouts at a very early age, be an altar boy. Not only that, joining the Red Cross Society, going to do medicine and public service.”
For NAPO, the size of the action doesn’t define its worth—what matters is the impact.
“The only difference is that some public service duties are very, very small, personal, but really impactful, and some are large and maybe impactful.”
He illustrated this by contrasting his work as a doctor—saving lives one patient at a time—with political leadership, which can transform entire communities.
“So being a doctor, you are serving one person at a time, and it could be very, very impactful for somebody who needs surgery, who is dying in agony, and you go in and you repair a strangled hernia or a rotten appendix or something, and you relieve his frustration. He sleeps well, and it brings a lot of joy to your heart and everything.”
“But it’s limited,” he added, “because when you put it around being a politician with making decisions that are life changing for suites of the society, probably forever.”
That, NAPO concluded, is the vision that shaped him and the ethos he now lives by.
“So this is just a public service ethos that was looking up.”
Source: Abubakar Ibrahim
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