Stan Dogbe, The ‘Media Baron’

What is his actual job description or is he dogsbody in the President Atta Mills

government? He is a greedy hanger-on, who has added up to the extra obesity to a

socialist government which is supposed to be ‘lean’. He is painful liability to

the state.

This is the government, who cried loudly to the world in 2009, when it assumed

office, that the then NPP government had drained the national coffers. Yet it

was able to raise GH 169, 000, the equivalent of 1.6billion in that same year to

pay for Christmas hampers. We now have a political system run by big money to

keep Ghanaians uninformed about the bread-and-butter issues that affect us most.

You can’t have democracy without an educated public, and you can’t have an

educated public with the media being under ‘the influence’.

In this battle for the soul of democracy, it is more and more clear that, the

press, which has a designed constitutional role, cannot be trusted and counted

on. If the press, which is constitutionally protected to get the facts out is

this far off, as they are being maligned as irresponsible, then where do we

stand as a democratic nation?

Was the NDC government voted into power to fix the ‘broken economy,’ or to fix

the ‘irresponsible media’?

The NDC government is at war with the media, so the need to beef up the

communication set-up with Joseph Goebbels, to thicken its skin. Among them is

Stanilav Xoese Dogbe, the Presidential Aide for President Atta Mills. He has

been engaged to spew ‘myths’, and to force it to sound convincing. Do Ghanaians

look like ditto heads or dumb asses? This is the man, Stan Dogbe, sex

racketeer, who used to wear chadors when going public, after the Georgia Hotel’s

disgraceful spectacle in Kumasi – Ashanti Region. Ghanaians are not oblivious

about the facts. This made him a cassowary at Multi Media.

The government has committed an extreme grave mistake, for failing to conduct

intensive background checks on him before his appointment. Did Multi Media fire

him, or he resigned voluntarily as the Head of Programmes? He is diabolical and

dishonest to the core. He muscled his way to find a spot in the in the

presidency, presents himself as an anchor to feed on the government largesse.

Former president Rawlings recent allegations of the media comprise easily gives

signals to be read about Stan Dogbe’s behaviour and conduct when he was at Joy

fm (Multi Media). His speech is a godsend. Stan is strongly carrying his history

with him by his tight and persistent silence. He was fealty and gung-ho to

corruption. He has now found a platform to corrupt the national media. He has no

moral right to assume the position as a Presidential Aide.

The NDC government is doing everything possible within its powers to control and

muzzle the media. Through Stan Dogbe’s GH169, 000, the government intends to

placate and silence the media. He is the media intelligentsia capable of

manipulation. As a utility player, his intention was to put macadam on the path

and make the media political docility. This spells out the government’s media

bravado. This effort has ended in a cadmean victory for Stan. Good swimmers are

often drowned. He felt emboldened to promote his own interest, at the expense of

public fortune. It was the money that gave the hard-boil Stan if not the courage

of his conviction, at least the wherewithal to follow his predilections. His aim

was to lay the media low. This is the reason why some media houses are immune to

the charms of the NDC. This kind of culture will eventually send the nation’s

media into a rotten media.

This is a moribund country whose future leaders (pupils), are learning under

trees through the burning scorching sun. When rainstorms hit Agona Swedru, in

the Central Region, it turned vulnerable people homeless, coupled with

starvation, and little was done to save them. But a presidential aide was able

to raise huge monies for Christmas gifts.

As the ‘Christian’ that he claims to be, it is both sinful and irresponsible on

the part of the president to shield Stan Dogbe.

On Saturday, July 31, 2010, Kwaku Saky-Addo’s Newsfile programme on Joy FM, Stan

Dogbe found it difficult to even explain his job description.

President John Atta Mills assured Ghanaians of fighting corruption in his

presidency. Stan Dogbe’s GH169, 000 naked corruption deserves the president’s

attention and professional action.

He has demonstrated to be a ‘prima donna’ in the NDC government.

His continuous stay in office tells the good people of Ghana how the NDC

government condones corruption, which it vehemently preached against.

His action is highly immoral; this startling revelation of Stan Dogbe speaks

volumes about how corrupt the government is. The principal objective of the

money was to coil the dominance voice and have autarchy over the media.

The president needs not to be dead calm over such a huge figure which had gone

down the drain. President Atta Mills recently called on the media to be

responsible in their profession. In the same wise, one expects him to be more

responsible in dealing with corruption. His ‘boy’s action was quite barbaric.

Proof has been piled upon proof, yet the government is taking no action against

him rather supports the immoral act. The Asawase MP, Hon. Muntaka, was forced to

resign, why not Stan Dogbe? He is a threat to the national media’s intelligence.

President Atta Mills should not tell Ghanaians that, he is a leader who talks

from both sides of his mouth. The good people of Ghana challenge the courage and

cleverness of the president to take immediate action.

Supporting him is like drinking near beer. The Minister of Information, Hon.

John Tia Akologu, a coward, who is also afraid of Stan Dogbe’s intimidations,

and was not around when the latter signed and collected the money for his

‘cause’, has also come out to defend the indefensible, in the end, committing an

intellectual dishonesty.

I would humbly draw Ghanaians attention on what actually happened within the

week the bimbo eruption exploded. The President on that very Tuesday, 14th

September, 2010, held a meeting with the media, to strategically coil them. In

addition, the Deputy Coordinator of the National Youth Council, Prince Derrick

Agyei, also came out with a strategic bombshell – homosexual allegations – only

to sway the minds of the citizenry away from the financial malfeasance caused by

the government through Stan.

The Presidential Aide has bilked the government to the tune of GH169 000. The

government ought to undertake probity and accountability over such a huge sum of

money.

If the editorial is false is libelous, then somebody should go to jail for it.

Why won’t Stan Dogbe in the capacity of a Presidential Aide of the Republic of

Ghana drag the paper to the law court for libel?

When contacted by the Daily Guide, as if an electric has been passed through his

body, his hair stood on end. According to the Daily Guide, “Mr. Stan Dogbe duly

acknowledged the receipt of the amount, in a Ghana must go bag, from the

Principal Accountant of the Ministry of Information with a receipt dated

December 21st, 2009 (four days to Christmas), indicating it was to enable him

carry out a public education exercise.”

Within this department, there are two ‘strange’ deputies – Samuel Okudzeto

Ablakwah and James Agyenim-Boateng; in addition, there is a Director of

Information Services Department (ISD), Nii Agyiri Barnor, who could have played

the public education role if that was the idea. But Stan is too wild to carry

out the ‘mafia’ media purchase.

According to the Daily Guide, “Stan was however not forthcoming with information

about how he spent the GH169, 000 released to him into cash when contacted, as

he has initially pretended not to know anything about the money. In a quivering

voice he said, “I don’t even remember”, but quickly changed his statement to “I

know that there was education on the budget activities but I don’t remember what

… because … fine, I never handled funds related to the project, so I’m surprised

that I would have signed for it.” After several hide and seek tactics with the

newspaper, “when contacted again through his cell phone, feigning hearing

impaired, he greeted them with several “hello … hellos” and suddenly dropped the

call. On Friday evening, August 13th, 2010, according to the newspaper, he

dropped the bombshell of signing and collecting the said money.”

His communication gut led him to energetically scale the heights of the

political journalism to bribe.

Stan Dogbe has engaged in bribery and corruption, and has willfully caused

financial loss to the state which needs not to be taken lightly by the

government. The government is still playing nice with him after dipping his

hands in the nation’s feedbag. He does not look genteel for public office.

We deserve a real working democracy in Ghana. The media is serving as the “eyes

and ears,” of the people, attuned to the dangerous consequences of corrupt

officials and failed public projects etc. The great diversity and intensely

national focus of the Ghanaian media are helping them, the media, to earn the

reputation as watchdogs over the powerful political interests shaping our

country. The political, economic, social, etc. exert tremendous influences on

our lives, thereby the media capability of reporting and opining about the

issues that directly impinge upon our lives. The media contributes to the

vitality of our democratic politics by shedding light on important issues that

private citizens do not have the time, inclination, or the expertise to uncover

or understand on their own. In the process, the media provides a forum where

dissenting voices reach the public.

There is no doubt that the objective of investigative journalism is

developmental. The sprawl of corrupt government officials, organized violence,

public health crises, strikes by public servants and demonstrations by pressure

groups, penetrating journalism contributes to the collective well-being of the

citizenry, even those who don’t pay attention to the coverage.

The government’s strong refusal not to pursue this very case – not to even sue

the muckrake journalist of the Daily Guide newspaper for libel – indicates its

profound interest in bribery and corruption.

Our country is disgracefully managed, but one hardly knows whom to complain.

This culture where half-wit intellectuals will kiss ass for droppings, because

they are not confident enough to achieve on their own, is killing our country.

This culture of throwing away one’s intelligence to come up with strategies to

survive, safe aligning a corrupt government has to go.

The so-called media baron cannot survive without the above activities, because

it’s the status quo his government is establishing.

Instead of using the qualities attained from educational instructions, these

guys throw wisdom to the wind, for scraps under the table, how sad.

The challenge is on the integrity of Stan Dogbe to be his own man, and leave

President Atta Mills to forge his own destiny, whatever remains.

If short-sightedness got him his position, alas gloating in it, assuming

Ghanaians are all illiterates tells a lot about Stan Dogbe’s perspective of

wisdom.

If the government gives a calling to half-wits, as compensation for a ‘job well

done campaigning’, decency demands panning such offers to more responsible

individuals.

Alas, with such records like the Georgia hotel ‘incident’ we know this is

impossible. The good people are not deaf to the thunder.

The only plea here is to dispute the reports through the court, anyhow this

matter is reviewed, there’s no where to run. Resign now and let the wise

Ghanaians advice themselves. Majority of Ghanaians are calling for his dismissal

and arrest. An attempt to corrupt and kill the integrity of the country’s media

is too monstrous to consider.

I am not expecting catastrophe, but there are cracks in the universe!

Jerry Amponsah

(King Sabbato)

New York