Stan Dogbe Bluffs

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday June 27, 2011.
Stanislav Xose Dogbe, a presidential aide and member of the government’s
communication team who recently blew GH¢ 169,000 (¢1.6billion) of taxpayers’ money, under the pretext of organizing public education campaign on the 2010 budget, last Thursday displayed a high level of arrogance when he moderated a television programme on Multi TV.

This time around, it is Professor Kwesi Yankah, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, who fell prey to Stan Dogbe’s trademark arrogance.

The distinguished Professor of linguistics’ crime was that he gave a lecture last Wednesday at the British Council Hall in Accra, where he said to the effect that there were too many contradictions and inconsistencies in government communication.

He questioned the rationale for the appointment of a spokesperson for the Vice-President, saying the presidency is one office and should not under normal circumstance have different spokespersons for the President and the Vice-President.

Prof Yankah said the two belong virtually to the same office. “You need a presidential spokesperson, Period! There is a competition for attention and that is very wrong.”

“I think the direction in which we are heading is ridiculous.

“The current comedy of errors, retraction and glitches arising out of a proposed World Bank loan is the expected outcome and the earlier a single voice spoke for the entire presidency, the better,” the Professor had advised.

The lecture, which was heavily attended was themed ‘Dzi Wo Fie Asem: Rhetoric And The Politics Of Expediency’ and it was organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) as part of its occasional series of lectures towards finding solutions to the development of the country.

But Stan Dogbe’s reaction as herein quoted was not charitable to the renowned Linguistics teacher: “Not everybody who teaches English or for that matter who can speak English is a communications person!”

Flanked by Kobby Acheampong, Deputy Minister of the Interior who recently described NPP General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John as a ‘Kookooase Kuraseni’, and Felix Kwakye, an NDC activist who was sponsored by the government abroad to learn about oil, Stan Dogbe said the renowned Professor of Linguistics, who is retiring from the University of Ghana next month, had engaged in what he called “exaggerated analysis” at the lecture and went ahead to challenge Prof. Yankah to point out the contradictions.

“My comment has been that the person who made that comment, clearly was engaging in exaggerated analysis and not any analysis that is based on any empirical facts because he said today on Joy FM that every single day, there are contradictions in government policy communication. I challenge the host of that programme (Joy FM Super Morning Show) to ask him to name today’s contradiction, name Wednesday’s, Tuesday’s, Monday’s contradiction so that we can put his discussions into perspective.”

Stan Dogbe said Prof Yankah cannot determine for the NDC government how it should run its communication.

“Our government chose to have a presidential spokesperson, have a spokesperson for our Vice-president and so also, there are ministers (of Information). The NPP, which some of them are aligned to, even had spokespersons for social services and many others,” he maintained.

Stan Dogbe said the suggestion by Prof. Yankah that the government adopts a White House system where an individual handles the information of the United States government and coordinates all forms of government policy statements is “misplaced and ill-informed.”

“Quite clearly, if he was not engaging in exaggerated analysis, he would have done some empirical reading to know that even the Defense, Homeland Security, the State Department all have spokespersons and they have at least three assistant spokespersons. If you go to the White House, there is a Press Secretary, there is a Director of Communication and there are five different assistant press secretaries – one assigned to the Vice-President who works. So if you don’t know, don’t just make comments,” he boasted.

He bragged: “We are focused as the communication team of government and we will continue to come out to the people of this country… and tell you what your government is doing”, adding, “Good evening; NDC, Ekoyie kɛkɛ!”

CAUCUS, the programme on which Stan Dogbe appeared as a moderator, has been designed by Multi TV, a cable television, to afford political parties a one-stop campaign platform to inform, educate and present their political agenda and manifesto to a captive audience, in an ongoing dialogue with voters.

CAUCUS also offers the parties a unique opportunity to review the most pertinent political issues and activities undertaken during the week under their respective ambits. It is shown every Monday to Friday at 6:30pm.