In the past few days, I have observed with keen interest and little surprise how Stan Dogbe, “Asochina Ajumbra”, the tried and tested one, has been castigated in some quarter’s. Amid the noise, one conviction Stan remains firm:
it is better to be Stan Dogbe than to be a traitor.
I write with no fear, with what I call my “Wailing Pen” driven by truth, light and integrity.
When it comes to appointing a Chief of Staff and deputies, whether in politics or business, the essentials extend well beyond charisma, connections and political leverage. The real currency is trust, loyalty and complementary skill. These are qualities Stan Dogbe brings to the table.
President John Dramani Mahama knows Stan Dogbe; not the caricature, but the human being; the so-called “political termite” who works quietly, diligently, and effectively.
As Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), a significant portion (perhaps 80 per cent) is unseen to the public eye. Seeing him complementing other staffers at Presidential functions is not his core style; overseeing the smooth execution of those functions is.
Presidential work, after all, is not an armchair enterprise.
The Presidential media environment is, in reality, a firefighting zone. I know this firsthand, having served for eight years in the Presidential Press Corps during the tenure of late Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.
I have seen it all, especially the tactics of agent provocateurs. In such a space, someone must be the gatekeeper.
It is, therefore, hardly surprising that a host of self-appointed associations are taking Anti-Stan Dogbe pills due to an allergy to the man himself: The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Online Publishers Association of Ghana (OPAG), Association of Online Bloggers, Association of Ghana Online Publishers (AGOP), the Online Magazines Publishers Association (OMPA).
It is surprising how many blogger unions and imagined online guilds exist.
We are waiting to hear from the Association of WhatsApp Users (AWAU), the Ghanaian Twitter/X Voltrons (GATWIXVo), and the National Association of Chat Group Administrators (ACGA). – Stan Abre!!!
The manner in which Stan Dogbe has been vilified by what I call the Pestle-Wielding Critics of Stan Dogbe (PWCSD), an army of sponsored and self-styled anarchists, deserves scrutiny.
These are critics who often confuse noise with relevance and outrage with principle.
Yet a man of substance understands fallibility. He acknowledges missteps, apologises when necessary and moves forward using every moment, high or low, as a learning opportunity. What must be vehemently resisted is the incessant buzzing of those who thrive on manufactured anger; critics who attach themselves to names and controversies for personal gain. Not all criticism is constructive; some are simply parasitic.
To Stan Dogbe, political maturity has prevailed where others would have faltered. In the face of sustained provocation, restraint has spoken louder than rage.
Power corridors can be psychologically bruising and emotionally corrosive. The jostling, scheming, the self-medication of ambition; these can wear you down. Keep your head up. Stan.
Those who know your worth stand firmly behind you.
For some, this is a game. For you, it is a calling, and that difference still matters.
By: Maxwell Okamafo Addo
About the Writer
Mr Maxwell Okamafo Addo is a Ghanaian farmer, journalist, and social media influencer best known for his work in presidential reporting.
He previously served as Media Aide to the late Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur and was a former organiser of the Presidential Press Corps under the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
He consults on presidential speechwriting within some English speaking countries in the sub-region.
Mr Maxwell Okamafo Addo has participated in Eight ECOWAS Election Observation Missions, serving in leadership roles across West Africa.
These include:
1. Team Leader, Guinea Conakry Presidential Elections (2015)
2. Team Leader, Togolese Presidential Elections (2015 )
3. Team Leader, Nigeria Presidential Elections (2015)
4. Team Leader AMI Ghana Presidential Elections (2020)
5. Team Leader, Benin Presidential Elections (2021)
6. Team Leader,Togo Legislative Elections (2024)
7. Team Leader Long Term Nigeria Presidential/ Legislative Elections in charge of Abuja FCT (2023)
8. Lead Member Preliminary Declaration Team Nigeria Elections Media (2023)
9. Team Leader Lagos Nigerian Governatorial Election – Governorship (2023)
A trained, experienced, and accredited long – and short-term election observer, Mr. Addo is also a forthright public commentator, widely known for his vocal style, often controversial, political, social, and Christian perspectives.Carl.Mazing is his pen name
