Open Letter To Hon. Joseph Akparibo: Your Office Deserves Better Than This

Dear Hon. Joseph Akparibo,

I have taken note of your recent media engagement and your reported decision to give the Ahafo Regional Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Asiedu Alfred, and the Asunafo North Communications Officer, Mr. Kobby Nimako, five days to retract and apologise over what you describe as false allegations, with a further warning of legal action.

Honourable, before you reach for the courtroom, perhaps you should first reach for the facts.

The issue before us is not whether you have the right to defend yourself. You certainly do. The issue is whether the words attributed to you were appropriate for a person occupying the office of Municipal Chief Executive and representing the government in Asunafo North.

That distinction matters.

YOU ARE NO LONGER JUST A PARTY POLITICIAN

Honourable MCE, you must understand the difference between being an ordinary partisan communicator and occupying a public office.

As a politician, you can engage your opponents politically.

As MCE, however, your words carry the authority of public office.

You are the Municipal Chief Executive of Asunafo North—not the Municipal Communications Officer of the NDC.

Therefore, when you speak publicly about the creation and development of the Ahafo Region, you cannot expect the people to conveniently separate your statements from the office you occupy.

The office comes with privileges, but it also comes with discipline.

WHO BENEFITED FROM THE CREATION OF AHAFO REGION?

If you truly maintain the position reportedly attributed to you—that those who created the Ahafo Region “did nothing for it”—then the people deserve a serious explanation.

What exactly do you mean by “did nothing”?

Was the creation of a new regional administrative structure nothing?

Was the establishment of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council nothing?

Was bringing regional government departments and agencies closer to the people nothing?

Was the elevation of Goaso to regional-capital status nothing?

Were the associated employment opportunities nothing?

Was the development of roads, public institutions and other infrastructure nothing?

Were the increased commercial activities and investments in Goaso and other parts of Ahafo nothing?

Were the efforts to position Ahafo for investment and development nothing?

If your answer is yes, then you owe the people a detailed explanation—not a five-day ultimatum to political communicators.

And if your answer is no, then perhaps the original statement requires clarification.

This is the conversation the people deserve.

DO NOT REWRITE AHAFO'S HISTORY FOR POLITICAL CONVENIENCE

The Ahafo Region was not created yesterday.
It was the product of years of advocacy, agitation and aspiration by the people of Ahafo.

The 2018 referendum and subsequent establishment of the Region in 2019 were historic moments.

Whether one supports the NPP or NDC, that history cannot simply be erased because the political party that delivered the Region is no longer in government.

The NPP may legitimately take political credit for implementing the creation of the Region.

The NDC may legitimately argue about what it has done or intends to do to advance the Region.

That is politics.
But reducing the entire exercise to “nothing” is a different matter.

Political power changes hands. History does not.

IF YOU DISAGREE, BRING THE FACTS

The NPP's Regional Communications Directorate has presented an extensive argument about the benefits of Ahafo's regional status.

You disagree with them.
Fair enough.
But disagreement requires a response.
Tell the people:
What has Ahafo gained?
What has Ahafo lost?
What should have been done differently?
What has the current government done since taking office?

What are you, as MCE, doing to maximise the opportunities available to Asunafo North because Ahafo is now a region?

That is the level of debate expected from a public official.

Not threats.
Not ultimatums.
Not political chest-beating.
Facts. Figures. Policies. Development.

AN MCE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF POLITICAL CRITICISM

Honourable, if you have chosen public office, you must accept public scrutiny.

You cannot enjoy the prestige, authority and resources associated with public office while expecting political opponents and citizens to remain silent when they disagree with you.

Criticism is part of democracy.
If the criticism is false, correct it.
If it is defamatory, use the law.
But do not confuse criticism with disrespect.

And do not make the threat of legal action the first language of political engagement.

The strongest response to political criticism is often a demonstration of performance.

THE PEOPLE OF ASUNAFO NORTH NEED DEVELOPMENT, NOT POLITICAL DRAMA

Honourable MCE, Asunafo North has real problems.

Our people need better roads.
Our communities need improved sanitation.
Our young people need jobs and opportunities.

Our farmers need support.
Our schools need attention.
Our healthcare facilities need improvement.
Our local economy needs investment.
These are the issues that should consume the energy of the Municipal Chief Executive.

Not endless political exchanges with NPP communications officers.

You have been given an opportunity to leave a developmental legacy.

Use it.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE MICROPHONE

One lesson every public official must learn is that a microphone has no reverse button.

Once words leave your mouth, they can travel further than you intended.

They can be recorded.
They can be quoted.
They can be interpreted.
They can become headlines.
And sometimes, they can outlive the person who said them.

That is why public office demands restraint.
Before speaking, ask yourself:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it beneficial to the people?
Does it reflect the dignity of my office?
If the answer is no, sometimes the wisest political statement is silence.

DO NOT TURN A PUBLIC OFFICE INTO A PARTY WAR ROOM

The MCE's office should be a bridge between political parties, not a battlefield.

You are expected to work with NPP members, NDC members and citizens who belong to no political party.

The road project does not ask for your party card.

The hospital does not treat only NDC supporters.

The school does not educate only NPP children.

The municipality belongs to everyone.
Therefore, your leadership must also belong to everyone.

AND YES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUE

Let me be clear: nobody should make defamatory allegations against you.

If someone has lied about you, you have every legitimate right to seek redress through the appropriate legal channels.

But remember this:
The law is not a substitute for political maturity.

If a statement can be resolved through clarification, clarify it.

If it requires correction, correct it.
If it requires an apology, demand it.
And if it genuinely crosses the legal threshold, then the courts remain available.

But threatening political communicators because they criticised your public statements does not automatically make their criticism false.

HONOURABLE, RISE ABOVE THE POLITICS

The NPP will criticise you.
The NDC will defend you.
Tomorrow, the political circumstances may change.

But the people of Asunafo North will remain.
That is why your conduct today must be measured against something greater than partisan victory.

Your legacy.
Years from now, people may forget the arguments you had with Asiedu Alfred and Kobby Nimako.

They may forget the radio interviews.
They may forget the press conferences.
But they will remember whether Joseph Akparibo used his time as MCE to transform Asunafo North.

That is the battle worth fighting.
So, Honourable MCE, by all means defend yourself.

But defend yourself with facts.
Defend yourself with performance.
Defend yourself with development.
Defend yourself with maturity.
And when you speak, remember that you are not speaking merely as Joseph Akparibo.

You are speaking from an office that belongs to the people.

The MCE's office is bigger than the NDC.

It is bigger than the NPP.
It is bigger than Joseph Akparibo.
You are only its temporary custodian.
Therefore, protect its dignity.
Respect the people.
Respect Ahafo's history.
And be very careful what you say.
Because in public leadership, words can build institutions, but careless words can destroy credibility.

Honourable, lead. Don't just react.
Govern. Don't merely campaign.
Explain. Don't intimidate.
Deliver. Don't distract.
And above all:

LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT YOU USED THE OFFICE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE, NOT TO SILENCE YOUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS.

….Signed…
Moses Antwi (PhD)