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25.10.2015 Feature Article

President Mahama - Tame Unruly Presidential Staffer Stan Dogbe

President Mahama - Tame Unruly Presidential Staffer Stan Dogbe
25.10.2015 LISTEN

There is this very popular saying that, its nice to acknowledge the people you meet on your way up for you will meet same people on your way down and therefore humble yourself in life.

Am making reference to this presidential staffer, Stan Dogbe who has arrogated to himself unnecessary powers and using it to trample upon colleagues journalists.

Am not sure which institution trained him with such awful and blatant lies about almost everything, thing that comes out his mouth. He is also very rude ,arrogant , disrespectful and lack manners and character as a person. I hope, he did not train at the same institute that trained me as a journalist, because that is not the kind of professionals the institution turn out. He is a disgrace and embarrassment to his colleagues at the office, including James Asante, Siisi Quainoo , George Lawson ,Kweku Tsen Mensah, Seth Ohene, Ebo Hanson, among others by his lack of manners, character and blatant lies. He is always in the news for bad reason.

Party members of the president have complained about the fact that the President Mahama surrounding himself with persons who have questionable and lack character .

Now I have no doubt if my mind, if the president could ever tame this rude presidential staffer, because a few days back the president took time to apologized on behalf of the Minister of Power's rude answer to the press, regarding assurance given by the president that the end of dumsor will be announced by Dr Donkor soon. Why can't President Mahama do same to Yahaya Kwamoah who is also a pressman,and was manhandled by Dogbe. He took his recorder from him and smashed it. Kwamoah does not only deserved apology from the president and Dogbe but they should replace his tape recorder Dogbe destroyed. I realized that the president did not see anything wrong with his behavior but found every thing wrong with his power minister. This is double standards by the first gentleman of the land.

I believe this staffer could never have done that to me when I was practicing. I wonder why the pressmen and women are afraid of this young but indiscipline staffer

This is a classic example of what they are talking about and its an embarrassment to both the party, the president and the good people of Ghana that a presidential staffer should behave with such an impunity in public. Will it be out of place if the Flagstaff press has a land cruiser which can accommodate the press who will accompany the president on his tours. Some of the appointees re riding in more comfortable 4 wheel drives which could help the press at the seat of government. Rather its used to drop their children in school , pick their girl friends and take their wives to the market. I cry for my homeland

According to news report 155 journalist in 40 media organizations have joined the MFWA to petition president Mahama to sanction this presidential staffer

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation (MFWA) for West Africa Suleiman Braimah has revealed that journalists at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation refused to sign the petition demanding sanctions against Presidential staffer Stan Dogbe out of fear of losing their jobs.

According to him, staff at the State broadcaster have told him that they fear they will be victimized and possibly sacked if they signed the protest paper.

The MFWA is leading the crusade for President John Mahama to punish his aide for attacking a journalist of the GBC.

The journalist, Yahaya Kwamoah of GBC Radio on Thursday August 20, went to the 37 Military Hospital where presidential correspondents were hospitalized after an accident which killed Ghanaian Times reporter, Samuel Nuamah.

Mr Dogbe is alleged to have smashed and destroyed the voice recorder of Yahaya for allegedly attempting to record him without his permission.

The petition which has received signatures of over 150 journalists from 40 media houses, has no signature from the GBC. The development has raised suspicions among the media fraternity.

Commenting on the issue, the MFWA boss told Samson Lardy on Newsfile that the staff of GBC are scared of being victimized, hence the decision to stay away from the petition.

“If journalists at the GBC speak to you, they tell you that management will not tolerate this, management will not allow this so clearly it looks like they are trying to protect their jobs,” he said. Its a shame that staff of the GBC are afraid of losing their jobs and victimization and therefore will not signed a petition for their staff member.

I would encourage the over 40 media houses who have joined the MFWA to petition the president ,especially Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, Ghana News Agency and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to resource their regional correspondents not to depend on party and constituency chairmen for transportation among other logistics which put the journalist at risk during the discharge of his learned profession.

In the country I live when there is a news out break, the various network and newspapers make all the necessary arrangements to ensure their staff disseminate the news without fear or favor. About 95 percent of the time they report the news as it is. I remember one time President Barrack Obama used a bad word on Kanye West ,it was the White House correspondent for NBC who first reporter the story and the president had to apologize. There are many instances journalist have written stories independently .

This will free them from the subtle in
Two other recent cases of how frequently Dogbe belittle his colleagues. After commissioning the Atta Mills Senior High school in his home town one of the presidents convoy was involved in accident and when Daily Guide reported the story Dogbe took to his Facebook to deny the story , but unfortunately there was pictures of the crash on the Ghanaian website, prove he was defending the indefensible.

The Real Estate Development owner of the Chrysler Nana Agyemang has threatened to curse the military driver of the first family Benjamin Takyi, for pulling a gun on him on the scene o the crash. The mangled vehicle is still sitting at the Otuam Police Station.

And a few days back the Western Region Press which supported the Flagstaff House Press Corp in the coverage of the tour of the region were involved in accident and three reporters injured. Instead of been sympathizing with them he claimed his press were safe and sound and has since arrived in the Central Region last leg of the tour and does not know of any accident involving the press. How sad and cold. How could President Mahama appoint such an inhuman personality to lead the press .

The Region has issued a statement condemning the presidential staffers , for denying no knowledge involving any press. I had a good working and social relationship with the press corp of Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, Ghana News Agency. These are the late Joe Bradford Nyinah, Rockson Asmah, Dave Agbenu, Collinson and the leader of the press the gentleman Devine from GNA. Not on a single occasion did they say anything bad about Aryeh who was the Press Secretary who later became the Editor of the Daily Graphic. He was exceptionally nice gentleman who commanded a lot of respect from all the press houses and press men. In the first PNDC Era, there was Opoku Acheampong who was also very friendly and respectful to the press. So am having difficulty to understand the stand this presidential Staffer has taken against his colleagues and he been allowed to disrespect them for a long time. Where is s source of power for actions.

How many times more does he have to embarrassed the presidency, before president, John Mahama will tame this bull dog called Stan Dogbe. At least if he lacks self respect, dignity and intelligence to mistreat his own colleagues , he should be called to order because this has been going on for a while.

I really never came into personal contact with Opoku Acheampong during PNDC era he was very nice according to my senior men at the time but Elvis Aryeh who replaced him later and later became the editor of Graphic was extremely nice and down to earth. none of these personality will snatch a recorder from a journalist with brute force because he suspects the journalist was sourcing their conversation. I think that is one of the trade mark of a good journalist of which he is one.

I believe as much as the Media Foundation or West Africa has taking the lead to petition the presidency ,the mother association of journalist, Ghana Journalist Association should be at the forefront to tame this indiscipline man called Stan Dogbe.

The Ghana Journalist Association in North America(GIJANA) are in the process of sending official petition to the president and the Information Minister regarding the treatment of journalist in the cause of their work .

In all of these instances it seems the Ghana Journalist Association and the Private Publishers Associations have been very dormant in the defense journalist who are only discharging their duty to mother Ghana and their chosen profession.

This is a fight for the GJA to insulates their members from future occurrence as well as putting a stop to the abuse of journalist in the course of their work. More often than not when persons in high position, abuse journalist they issue dies a natural death , but the GJA should take up the case and defend their members.

If your pride is bigger than your heart and your ego is bigger than your head, grow up else you will be alone for life. Stan Dogbe one day remember you will return to the profession in a different capacity but you will remain a journalist and you will need these same journalist

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