The Director General of the Raymond Dokpesi Centre for Media Development, Dr. Christopher Ebuetse, has again called on the federal government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immortalize the late Dr. Raymond Aleogho Anthony Dokpesi, 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.
The Director General noted that Dokpesi gave a flip to broadcasting, redefining the business, as most of the innovations and legacies in the broadcasting industry in Nigeria are traceable to him. He noted that Dr. Dokpesi, was great, and 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 will continue to remember him because of his fine heart; he was a man of great understanding and humble personality. He noted that Raymond Dokpesi achieved so much in broadcasting, rendering services to
humanity, and making broadcasting a bridge between the government and the governed. Dr. Christopher Ebuetse described him as a man with indelible footprints and one of the greatest compatriots that has 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. Dokpesi, the legendary hero of broadcasting, the shipping magnate, and the Ezomo (Warrior Lord ) of Weppa Uwanno Kingdom, departed the Mother Earth. 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. 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.
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 and by exposing and exporting the black man’s values to the global space. 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 he was a voice for the defenseless, always standing up for those who could not defend themselves. 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 remembered 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.
Christopher 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.
Ebuetse appealed to the National Assembly to call for the immortalization of Raymond Dokpesi. He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban himself, to immortalize Dokpesi, and in doing so, Ebuetse stated that Nigerians will appreciate the gesture and that the history of the nation will be kind to him.
Dr Christopher Ebuetse
Director General
Raymond Dokpesi Centre For Media Development
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