Tireless campaigner against illegal mining( galamsey) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey has denied any partisanship in his advocacy against the scourge of illegal mining (galamsey) in the country, stressing that his loyalty is to Ghana and Ghanaians who genuinely care about the country and not persons like the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency Stan Dogbe, who see every national issue in partisan manner.
Dr Ashigbi’s assertion follows an accusation by Stan Dogbe that Dr Ashigbi’s fight against galamsey is partisan and insincere when Dr Ashigbi sought to draw the government’s attention to ongoing illegal mining in the Simpa Township.
Dr Ashigbi, in drawing attention to the situation in Simpa, wrote:
“Around the Simpa township on the Tarkwa to Takoradi road, there is galamsey happening in clear sight. Is the MCE not aware? HE John Dramani Mahama, please, this MCE cannot be representing your interests. I can see it from the road today, Sunday, the 5th of October 2025. They are working and polluting the waters.”
But Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Stan Dogbe responded:
”If your government, in the 8 years of your ‘coloured’ fight, had demonstrated the political will and clear strategies deployed in the last 9 months, I guess we would not be here. Instead of gaining on negativity as a form of advocacy, you and your team, as advised by the president, should keep up the fight, but I add do it constructively and stop hiding behind political bias to gain a voice.”
This prompted Dr Ashigbi to write an article published on his personal blog and shared on social media to set the records straight.
He stated that Stan Dogbe’s response was very unfortunate and laced with falsehood, denying any political motivation in the fight.
“Very unfortunate with a lot of falsehood. I was going to ignore it, because I thought that the response to him and the facts were obvious…
But there were too many calls that I should respond to and set the records straight. So this is my response to my brother and friend. Those who know,” he began the article:
He continued:
” Stan Xoese Dogbe,
“My government,” really? Well, some in the NPP said the same. Thankfully, Ghanaians can judge my actions for themselves.
My focus has never been on those who, like you, see every national issue through partisan lenses. My commitment is to Ghana and to those who genuinely care about our nation’s future. They recognise the consistency of our message and the sincerity of our advocacy.
When we began this fight in 2017, where were you? What was your contribution to the struggle against galamsey under the NPP? Was that when you also thought our advocacy was “negative”? History will judge us all.
Some of us are focused on solutions, not noise. You may ask the Minister of Lands, Hon Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah — whenever we engage, we present concrete proposals. We’ve even shared a comprehensive paper with H.E. John Dramani Mahama, detailing actionable solutions. This is a matter of public record.
Ghanaians can see that our work is not driven by money or politics. They know that our fight is against the imminent environmental crisis threatening all of us — not an exercise in negativity.
Perhaps you are not as concerned about the poisoning of our water bodies or the destruction of our environment. Yes, you can now afford imported brands like Voss. I cannot. My children and family depend on the resources here in Ghana — the same ones being destroyed daily.
I hold no political bias — and you know that. Yet, for reasons best known to you, you now seek to misrepresent me. I pray that God forgives you for the falsehoods you spread. The truth, and the internet, will not forget.
Why should I stay silent when I see wrongdoing? Even the President himself has called on all of us to support the fight against galamsey. The Minister of Lands urged citizens to speak up when they see something wrong. Would you rather we disobey that call?
So I ask: Do you want us to fix this problem, or do you not?” He quizzed.
Many have described Stan Dogbe’s response as unfortunate.
