The President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minority Caucus of House and Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, have expressed grief over the death of Daar Communications founder and owner of African Independence Television, Raymond Dokpesi.
Tinubu, in a condolence message on Monday, mourned the death of Dokpesi, saying he would be sorely missed.
Dokpesi died on Monday at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.
Tinubu’s condolence message was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by his media officer, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz.
The President described the death of the media mogul as a huge loss to the Nigerian media industry and the country.
He said, “The death of High Chief Raymond Dokpesi is a blow to the media industry where he has played pioneering roles in private broadcasting. His pacesetting investment in the industry is an inspiration to many who come after him.
“The history of the evolution of the Nigerian media industry will be incomplete without prominent mention of Dokpesi and his giant footprints on the media landscape.
“I express my sincere condolences to the management and staff of Daar Communications and the family of the late media entrepreneur for this monumental loss,” he said.
President of the Senate (Lawan), in a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser (Media) to President of the Senate, Ola Awoniyi, expressed his grief over the death of the media mogul (Dokpesi).
According to the statement titled ‘Senate President Mourns Media Mogul Raymond Dokpesi,’ Lawan described the death as a great loss to the Nigerian polity and media industry “in the light of his immense contributions to politics and the evolution of private media in Nigeria and Africa.”
The Senate president noted that it was to the credit of Dokpesi that he established the first private television network in Nigeria, Africa’s first private satellite television and first privately-owned radio station in Nigeria.
He said, “I commiserate with the immediate family of Dr Raymond Dokpesi, staff of AIT/RayPower 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.”
Gbajabiamila equally described Dopkesi as a patriotic Nigerian who would be sorely missed.
In a separate statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity House of Representatives, Lanre Lasisi, Gbajabiamila said he received the news of the death of media entrepreneur with rude shock, noting that Dokpesi has left a vacuum in the Nigerian media industry as the pioneer of private radio station in Nigeria.
The speaker, in the statement titled ‘Gbajabiamila Sad Over Dopkesi’s Death,’ recalled how the late businessman combined his media entrepreneurship with politics, which he said, provided the late owner of AIT/Raypower FM the opportunity to appreciate leadership in the country.
In the same vein, the Minority Caucus in the House said he was “shocked and grieve-stricken” by the news of Dokpesi’s death.
In a statement issued by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, titled ‘Reps Minority Caucus Mourns Chief Raymond Dokpesi,’ the opposition lawmakers described the media mogul as “a highly resourceful, respected and accomplished entrepreneur, very brilliant, humble and insightful touch bearer; a remarkable philanthropist who remained steadfast towards the unity, stability and development of our nation and served as a source of inspiration to many especially the younger generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.”
The caucus partly said, “High Chief Dokpesi was a global citizen and his death is a huge loss to our dear nation and humanity at large. He will be greatly missed as his legacies will continue to live and impact lives for many more years to come.
“The Minority Caucus deeply commiserates with the Dokpesi family, the Daar Communication Group, the Government and people of Edo State and the Weppa-Wanno Kingdom at this moment of grief and prays to the Almighty God to grant us all the fortitude to bear this devastating loss and to the faithful departed, an eternal rest.”
Similarly, the DG of NILDS described the death of Dokpesi as a great loss to the nation.
Sulaiman, a former Minister of National Planning, made the remarks in a condolence message titled ‘Prof Sulaiman Describes Dokpesi’s Death as Great Loss to the Nation.’
Sulaiman said, “He was a prominent figure in the media industry, and his contributions have 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. 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.”
Apple’s Bite reports that Dokpesi is the founder of the first private television and radio station in Nigeria, African Independent Television and RayPower FM, respectively,
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