The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, and the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbe, were at each other’s throats on social media over the country’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey”.
Dr Ken Ashigbey, in a post shared on Facebook on October 5, 2025, raised a concern about an apparent defiance of illegal miners, who were purportedly openly engaging in “galamsey” in a town in the Western Region.
He called on President John Dramani Mahama to take action against the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) over apparent laxity in the fight against the canker.
“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,” he wrote.
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In a comment under Dr Ashigbey’s post, Stan Dogbe issued a sharp criticism to the Chamber of Mines boss, suggesting that he (Ashigbey) is a member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He asserted that Ghana would be making strides in the fight against “galamsey” if Dr Ashigbey’s government had fought the menace like the John Mahama government is currently doing.
“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,” he said.
Dr Ashigbey replied to Stan Dogbe’s comment with a strongly worded statement on his website.
He took issue, particularly, with the Deputy Chief of Staff’s assertion that he is a member of the NPP.
The Chamber of Mines boss, who is also the Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, questioned Stan Dogbe about his credentials on the fight against “galamsey”.
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“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,” he wrote.
He also told Dogbe that his focus is on finding solutions to the fight against “galamsey”, instead of “making noise.”
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