Nana Addo forces Graphic MD Ken Ashigbey to resign

Mr. Ken Ashigbey, the managing director of leading state news publisher, the Graphic Communication Group Limited (GCGL), has resigned.

According to sources, he tendered in a resignation letter to Graphic’s outgoing Board last Friday.

Details are still emerging, but allegations already flying around include claims that he was forced to resign by the New Patriotic Party government, as President Akufo-Addo aims to get a more trustworthy party man in place at the leading state news company.

The Republic has also heard claims that Mr. Ashigbey, who has led a media crusade against illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey,’ has messed up finances at the GCGL, publishers of the flagship national broadsheet, Daily Graphic.

In respect of the allegation of financial maladministration, it is said that some senior staff of Graphic are pushing for a probe into Mr. Ashigbey’s tenure at Graphic.

The materiality of such a probe will be established in the coming weeks, sources say, as the Board of Graphic prepares to hand over to a new one.

Mr. Ashigbey was appointed Managing Director of GCGL by the National Media Commission (NMC) in November 2011.

An initial four-year tenure had taken effect from November 1, 2011, as he took over from Mr. Mohammed Awal, who had resigned from Graphic in December, 2010.

An engineer and communications expert, Mr. Ashigbey’s appointment to the Graphic job had seen him leave Multi TV, as Chief Operating Officer.

His employment history includes serving as General Manager at Joy FM from 2003 to 2006, Managing Director of Optimum Media Prime (OMP), Accra from 2007 to 2010, before becoming Chief Operating Officer of Multimedia Group Limited (MULTI TV).

Mr. Ashigbey is a Council Member of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).

He recently became very popular when he led a media campaign against illegal mining in the country, forcing the NPP government’s hand against galamsey, even though President Akufo-Addo had promised illegal miners, during the 2016 campaign, that galamsey would not be discouraged by an NPP government.