A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has urged political leaders to make realistic promises to citizens, warning that unrealistic commitments can lead to public disappointment and governance challenges.
Speaking at a forum at the University of Ghana last Wednesday, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said effective leadership requires careful preparation, strong networks and the discipline to deliver on commitments made to the electorate.
“Integrity matters because it ensures you do what you say or promise to the people,” he stated.
He further advised aspiring politicians to be resourceful, financially prepared or supported by strong networks, stressing that successful leadership demands much more than ambition.
Forum Promotes Engagement Between Students and Political Leaders
The event, dubbed Time with the Politician, forms part of an ongoing series jointly organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana and the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana.
The forum provides a platform for students to engage directly with experienced political leaders on issues ranging from public leadership and governance to the legislative process and national development.
Reflections on Tenure as Education Minister
Reflecting on his time as Minister of Education, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said he approached the role with the mindset that failure was not an option, describing the position as both demanding and rewarding.
He identified management as one of the most significant challenges in political leadership, arguing that weak management structures often lead to inefficiencies within public institutions.
According to him, the Ministry of Education, as the foundation of the country’s human resource development, requires particularly strong administrative systems.
Although he said he would not wish to return to the ministry because of the intense pressure associated with the position, he expressed a continued commitment to contributing to educational policy and reform through other avenues.
Among the achievements he highlighted was overseeing the education sector for four years without experiencing any major strike action by labour unions.
Calls for Stronger Technical Education
Dr. Opoku Prempeh pointed to Germany’s technical education system as an important model that influenced reforms in Ghana’s technical and vocational education sector.
He expressed concern that some technical universities were gradually shifting away from their core technical mandates by introducing programmes such as business administration, a trend he believes undermines their original purpose.
He also noted that while government has invested in providing equipment to technical institutions, inadequate technical expertise sometimes hampers the effective use of those resources.
Governance and Corruption Challenges
On university governance, Dr. Opoku Prempeh suggested that long-serving administrative officials, including registrars and finance officers, often provide institutional continuity and stability because they remain in office longer than vice-chancellors, whose appointments are time-bound.
He also described corruption as a systemic challenge influenced by both political and societal pressures.
According to him, many governance difficulties confronting ministries are technical in nature and require competent leadership, sound management practices and skilled technocrats to address effectively.
He stressed that successful governance ultimately depends on appointing the right ministers and professionals to lead public institutions.
Bridging Theory and Political Practice
The Country Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Ghana, Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall, said the Time with a Politician series was established to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical political experience.
She explained that while political science equips students with theoretical frameworks and analytical tools, politics is ultimately shaped by real-world decision-making, negotiations, leadership challenges and policy trade-offs.
According to her, the initiative seeks to expose students to these practical realities through direct interaction with experienced public officials and political leaders.
