NEWS
Lawan, Sanwo-Olu, Others Grieve Loss Of Media Mogul, Dokpesi
The passing of Raymond Dokpesi, a renowned media mogul, has evoked sorrow among prominent Nigerians.
According to a statement released by his son, Raymond Dokpesi Jr., the chairman of DAAR Communications breathed his last on Monday.
The news of senior Dokpesi’s demise prompted an outpouring of condolences from various individuals, including Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Ola Awoniyi, Lawan expressed profound grief over the loss of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM founder.
He highlighted the significant impact that Dokpesi had on Nigerian politics and the media industry, underscoring his invaluable contributions.
Lawan credited Dokpesi with pioneering the establishment of Nigeria’s first private television network, Africa’s inaugural private satellite television, and the country’s maiden privately owned radio station. This notable legacy further accentuates the magnitude of Dokpesi’s demise for both Nigeria and Africa.
“I commiserate with the immediate family of Dr Raymond Dokpesi, staff of AIT/Ray power FM radio and the media industry at large on this great loss.
“They should all be consoled that Dr Dokpesi made his mark in business, politics and the media industry and lived a fulfilled life,” Lawan said.
He prayed to God to grant him eternal rest and comfort his loved ones.
Governor Sanwo-Olu in a condolence statement issued on Monday by his Media Adviser, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said the late Dokpesi would be remembered for breaking the monopoly of government-owned broadcasting in Nigeria with the establishment of the first private radio station, Raypower FM.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Lagos State, I mourn the passage of businessman and media guru, who contributed his quota to the economy of Lagos State by providing job opportunities for many young Lagos residents in the media sector.
“High Chief Raymond Dokpesi was a forerunner in private broadcasting in Nigeria. He established the first privately owned television and radio in Nigeria. His bold decision to break the government monopoly in the broadcasting sector gave birth to hundreds of privately owned television and radio stations in Nigeria.
“He was also an active participant in Nigeria politics during the present Fourth Republic and served his party and Nigeria in different capacities. He was a philanthropist who dedicated his life to the service of his community, state, and country.
“I pray for the repose of the soul of the late Dr. Dokpesi and pray that God grants the media industry and the deceased family, friends and associates the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Also mourning the founder of African Independent Television (AIT) is the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba.
IGP Baba described Dokpesi’s death as a monumental loss to Nigeria, the media community, and the African continent at large.
The IGP, therefore, prayed for the repose of his soul and God’s guidance on the family members, staff of DAAR Communications, and friends of Dokpesi.
In a similar vein, the Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman, stated that the deceased was a prominent figure in the media industry whose contributions had left a lasting impact.
“My heartfelt condolences to the Dokpesi family and the entire staff of AIT and Raypower FM. His departure is a significant loss for the entire media landscape,” Sulaiman said.
“He was a pioneer and a visionary who consistently pushed the boundaries of journalism and entertainment.
“His unwavering dedication to excellence and innovation has undoubtedly shaped the media industry as we know it today.”
He asked God for the departed to find eternal peace and for his dear ones to find strength in the face of his absence.
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed all transition committee chairmen in the state’s 21 local government areas.
This decision was detailed in a letter titled “Expiration of Tenure and Handover to Heads of Local Government Administrations (HLGAs),” dated May 17, 2024, and signed by Collins Nwabunwanne, the state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs.
According to the letter, the directive will be effective starting Monday, May 20, 2024.
The letter read, “Following the expiration of your tenure as Transition Committee Chairman, you are hereby directed to handover the affairs of your Local Government Council to the Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA), in your respective Local Government Councils.
“This directive takes effect from Monday, 20th day of May, 2024. Thank you for your service to the state. All replies to be addressed to the Honourable Commissioner.”
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe was on Wednesday inducted into the Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
Biztellers reports that the investiture was performed by the President/Chair-in-Council of the NSE, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE at a ceremony in Abuja.
Oguntala congratulated the 63 new inductees and urged them to uphold the values of their new position in their field of engineering. She highlighted that engineers have been at the forefront of driving progress and development across various sectors of the economy, notably in the oil and gas industry.
She particularly lauded the ES of NCDMB for his excellent leadership and expertise through the strategic development of local content and in-country value retention, which is a testament to his brilliance in the field of engineering.
Oguntala also applauded the strategic partnership between the NSE, the NCDMB and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
Similarly, the chairman Board of Fellows/College of Fellows, Engr. Kamila Maliki, FNSE, commended the new inductees for their resilience, dedication, and contribution to the field of engineering.
He added that it was not a small feat to be chosen for the investiture due to the rigorous and thorough nature of the selection process.
The ES later was joined by the Managing Director of Setraco Nigeria Limited, Engr. Ziad Mouannes and Senator Patrick Ndubueze for the unveiling of the very first edition of the 2024 NSE Quarterly Magazine.
Some senior officials of the Board who accompanied the ES to the event included the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abdulmalik Halilu, Director, Project Certification and Authorization, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, and the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq.
Before he was appointed the ES of NCDMB, Engr. Ogbe had nearly 30 years top-level career in the field of engineering in the employment of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), before retiring voluntarily to set up his private firm.
His last position at Chevron Nigeria was Construction Services Group Superintendent, and he oversaw 200 personnel, including Nigerian nationals and expatriates.
Other notable positions he held at the company included Offshore Projects Manager, Construction Manager (Lagos, Escravos -Warri), Construction Engineer (San Ramon) in California, United States of America.
On Saturday evening, armed soldiers shut down the popular Banex Plaza in the Wuse 2 district of Abuja after a clash between traders and three soldiers over a phone sale dispute.
According to eyewitness Okechukwu Daniel, the incident began on Saturday afternoon when a young military man returned to a phone shop, claiming a phone he bought about a month ago was faulty.
Daniel, also a trader at Banex Plaza, stated that the seller refused to accept the phone back due to the lengthy period that had passed since the sale.
He said “When the phone seller refused to collect the phone back, the young guy threatened him that he will shut down his shop for refusing to collect the phone, and the seller told him to do his worse.
“That was when he got angry and went to one of the barracks close by and brought two soldiers to come and harass the phone seller for him to collect the phone back.
“When the two soldiers got to the phone shop to threaten the seller, he still refused to collect the phone. The soldiers got angry and wanted to use force on him, that was when other traders came to the rescue of the phone seller and beat up the two soldiers.”
Daniel added that after the soldiers were assaulted, they went back to the barracks to gather reinforcements.
When they returned to Banex Plaza to confront the phone seller and other traders, the traders had already fled from their shops.
He added “When over 50 soldiers who were visibly angry got to the plaza, they could not find the traders that beat up their colleagues, so they decided to shut down the plaza by asking everyone to leave. Anyone found around the plaza was asked to do frog jump and other punishment,”
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Soldiers Shut Down Banex Plaza After Clash With Traders [Video]
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