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