A photo of the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly called Napo, holding a plaque with inscriptions, “Africa Role Model, Female Personality of the Year” has emerged on social media.
One of the tweets that significantly contributed to the spread of the photo online added the caption, “When desperation sets in”. At the time of filing this report, the tweet had received over 88,000 views and 841 likes.
When desperation sets in
?????? pic.twitter.com/C9p2go5QFP— YAW EDUFUL (@yaw_eduful_) July 9, 2023
Several other accounts on Twitter have also shared the same video with different captions, some suggesting that the award is a scam (here, here and here).
Fact-Check Ghana has verified the claims and presents the facts below.
On Saturday, July 8, 2023, the Youth Professionals and Youth Coalition held an Africa Role Model awards ceremony at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The award celebrates outstanding individuals from different fields who serve as role models for the youth.
According to photos shared on both the Minister’s and the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition’s Facebook pages, Napo indeed received an award. The Minister was awarded “Overall Africa Role Model in Politics and Governance” and not the Female Personality of the Year as seen in the photo and as speculated.
According to the photos shared after the event, the former parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Weija-Gbawe, Obuobia Darko-Opoku, who’s also the Executive Director of Ignite Youth Empowerment, an NGO, was awarded the Female Personality of the Year and Africa Role Model in Young Women Empowerment.
In the photos of the event, there was one in which both Napo and Obuobia were seen in a pose. The photo showed Obuobia Darko-Opoku holding the plaque for the Africa Role Model in Young Women Empowerment while Napo helped her with the Female Personality of the Year. Indeed, at the base of the plaques held by both Obuobia and Napo in the photo, there was the name “Obuobia Darko-Opoku’’ boldly etched at the base.
However, the photo shared on Twitter and on many other social media platforms edited and covered Obuobia Darko-Opoku’s name, making it appear as if Napo was awarded Female Personality of the Year.
Therefore, the claim that the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was awarded “Africa Role Model, Female Personality of the Year” is false and the photo making rounds on social media fueling the claim has been edited.
