The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, also known as Nana B, has questioned the backlash over Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s comparison of President Akufo-Addo’s achievements to those of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Speaking at his unveiling as the running mate to NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia ahead of the December 7 polls in Kumasi on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Dr. Prempeh stated that no president in the history of the country had performed better than Nana Akufo-Addo, “not even your Kwame Nkrumah.”
This statement did not sit well with critics, who claimed it justified the perception of Dr. Prempeh’s arrogance.
In response, Nana B defended the comparison during an interview on the Class Morning Show with Kwame Dwomoh Agyemang, arguing that Akufo-Addo's achievements, particularly in the implementation of Free SHS, surpassed those of Nkrumah.
He emphasized that while Dr. Nkrumah started Free SHS in the northern part of Ghana, it was President Akufo-Addo who boldly implemented it nationwide, which is a significant accomplishment.
Nana B stated, “Why can’t we compare our achievements with Nkrumah? Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a leader and a politician. We have our views, and we think, yes, we have done better because Nkrumah began Free SHS only in the northern part of Ghana, and Nana Akufo-Addo has done it nationally. Is that not a monumental achievement?”
Nana B noted that former President Mahama even left Achimota School to benefit from Free SHS in the North because enrollment was very low then. In contrast, the national implementation by Akufo-Addo has been a credit to his administration.
“Is that a problem? It is not a problem,” Nana B stated.