Dr.Raymond Dokpesi.
By correspondent in Lagos.
The Director General, Raymond Dokpesi Centre for Media Development, Dr. Christopher Ebuetse, has called on the federal government to immortalize the late High Chief, Dr. Raymond Aleogho Anthony Dokpesi who died on May 29,2023.
He made the call in a release he issued in Lagos on Tuesday and a copy made available to The Reporters on Wednesday.
The DG described Dokoesi as a profound media mogul and a shipping magnate, one of the first to venture into private broadcasting in Nigeria, with the establishment of the first independent radio station, Raypower 100. 5 FM.
He noted that Dokpesi gave a flip to broadcasting, redefining the business, adding that most of the innovations and legacies in the broadcasting industry in Nigeria are traceable to him.
The High Chief, Dr. Raymond Aleogho Anthony Dokpesi,he further described, was great, adding that even in death, “he lives on as the trailblazer, the pioneer, and the father of modern-day broadcasting.”
He stated that though the eagle man is now in the celestial, millions of Nigerians and blacks in the diaspora would continue to remember him because of his fine heart, pointing out that the deceased was a man of great understanding and humble personality.
The DG also observed that Raymond Dokpesi achieved so much in broadcasting, rendering services to humanity, and making broadcasting a bridge between the government and the governed.
Dr.Ebuetse said Dokpesi was as a man with indelible foot prints and one of the greatest compatriots that had walked this mortal earth.
He noted that Dokpesi has continued to live in the minds of millions of Nigerians, Africans and the blacks in the Caribbean , as his life remains an experience of exemplary service to Nigeria, Africa, and the world.
In his reflections on May 29th, 2023, he noted that the day became a day to be remembered as Dr. Raymond Aleogho Anthony Dokpesi, the legendary hero of broadcasting, the shipping magnate, and the Ezomo (Warrior Lord ) of Weppa Uwanno Kingdom, departed the Mother Earth.
The DG said:”Nigerians take solace in the fact that, he gave us a voice, and from the birth of the first private radio station in 1993, the people then had an alternative voice to respond to the government’s one-sided story, and as of today, Nigeria and Africans can be heard.
” In several fearless battles, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi created a difference in the landscape of broadcasting in Nigeria, Africa, and around the world.
“Against this background, the broadcasting world will continue to reflect on his revolutionary ideals and his numerous achievements in the media.
“Raymond Dokpesi was an organ of hope in the economic, cultural, and socio-political development and activities of the country.
“And that democracy day, May 29th, 2023, will be remembered more by the broadcasting media, because he was one of the few Nigerians who nurtured democracy; he fought for the sustainability of democracy, though verified; he fought for democracy to strive.
“He was a true comrade in the fight for the emancipation of the people from servitude.
“May 29th, 2023, became the day a broadcasting mogul, a philanthropist, and a pathfinder of broadcasting left the mortal earth.
“Dokpesi had always led from the front; he will be remembered for his role in the building of the entertainment industry. He was the man who revolutionized the music and film industry in Nigeria, placing African culture in the global space through quality productions by exposing and exporting the black man’s values to the global space. Raymond Dokpesi was a great compatriot and the arrowhead of numerous ground-breaking achievements in broadcasting. The first to introduce 24-hour broadcasting in Nigeria was the first to introduce satellite broadcasting in the country.
“He will continue to remain indelible in the broadcasting sector in Nigeria, Africa and the world as his footprint is on the shores of time.”
Christopher Ebuetse noted that the deceased was a voice for the defenseless, stressing that he always stand up for those who could not defend themselves.
The DG continued:”He was a man who truly loved Nigeria and Africa, which is why he named his broadcasting outfit, Africa Independent Television, AIT, with the thematic trust of projecting Africa and the blacks in the diaspora’s experience to the world.
“He was a mentor to many; he was distinct; he never lived a fake life; he could hardly be faulted on his stands; he was a bridge builder for the people; he never discriminated against anybody; he was one of the finest of those who made Nigeria thick, one of those who worked for democracy.
“I remember one of his numerous speeches that touched his heart: “Never again should Nigeria slide into military dictatorships. He saw it all, as his broadcasting company was the first private, lonely voice during the dark days of the military. I could remember how he was called not to allow Gani Fawehinmi and other activists to appear on his station. It is in his history that he dared the military junta then.”
Dr.Ebuetse further noted that Dokpesi was a bridge builder, the man who turned the media into a spectacle to behold in our democracy.
On Education, he noted that Raymond Dokpesi was highly intelligent, made a first-class record, and created a record that was never broken in 50 years. He was an outstanding scholar, researcher and teacher who made people discover their talents, changed their destiny, and helped the people achieve heights and greatness.
“Dokpesi remains an icon of broadcasting, the man who redefined African cultural activities before the world, taking Africa to the global space of reckoning with the African experience,” he added.
Ebuetse appealed to the National Assembly to call for the immortalization of Raymond Dokpesi.
He appealed to the president to immortalize Dokpesi to enable Nigerians appreciate the gesture, adding that by doing so,the history of Nigeria would be kind to him.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
