Matthew Opoku Prempeh Urges Ex-Government Appointees to Avail Themselves for Investigations

• Dr Matthew Prempeh has urged former appointees of the Akufo-Addo administration to cooperate with security agency investigations
• He emphasised that accountability was a fundamental aspect of governance and should be embraced by those who have held public office
• Reacting to the EOCO's treatment of Chairman Wontumi, Dr Prempeh advised caution in the handling of corruption-related cases

Former Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has called on former government appointees of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration to avail themselves for investigation if called upon by any of the security agencies.

He emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in governance.

Dr Prempeh, who was the running mate of former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the general elections on December 7, 2024, said that anyone who has had the privilege to hold public office must be ready to account for their stewardship, acknowledging that it was a risk that came with the job.

"Those of us who have dedicated ourselves to politics must understand that when your party is out of power, you may be called upon to account for your tenure in office, and there is nothing wrong with being held accountable. Even in our various homes, our wives hold us accountable. So, accountability is not a bad thing," he said.

Dr Prempeh, who also served as the Minister of Education during former President Akufo-Addo's first term in office, disclosed that he had been in and out of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to respond to questions related to his tenure since he left office on January 7, 2025.

"As for accountability, nobody can escape it. Even today, I was at the NIB. People don’t know that I have been to the NIB several times since we lost power. They called me to come and account for my tenure as Minister of Education. I couldn’t turn down the invitation, so I went. I have been twice," he disclosed.

Dr Prempeh criticises EOCO's treatment of Wontumi

Dr Prempeh made these remarks while reacting to the recent controversy sparked by the arrest of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

The politician was in EOCO custody for almost a week after being arrested on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, over allegations of fraud and illegal mining.

However, he was released on Monday, June 2, 2025, after his lawyers met his GH¢50 million bail conditions, with two sureties to be justified. According to Dr. Prempeh, EOCO did not treat Chairman Wontumi fairly by keeping him in custody for six days.

He consequently advised members of the ruling government and the security agencies to be cautious in how they treat individuals perceived to have committed corruption-related crimes, as power may change, and they would not want to be met with the same treatment.

The video of Dr Prempeh urging cooperation with the authorities is below:

Nana Agradaa reacts to Chairman Wontumi's release

YEN.com.gh also reported that controversial televangelist, Nana Agradaa, weighed in on Chairman Wontumi's release by the EOCO.

In the video, she claimed it was due to her anointing and visit to the EOCO on June 2 that the opposition party politician was released.

The TikTok Live video got many people laughing hard, as people shared their views on Agradaa's comments on Wontumi's freedom.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh