Dokpesi: A Tribute To A Trail Blazer -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

To me, this piece may be coming rather belated because I really could not come to terms with fact that the High Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi is no more. It is difficult to believe. It is shocking and heart-breaking. For some of us who are activists and media enthusiasts the likes of High Chief Dr. Dokpesi who had make name in media-related business are an inspiration to us. And that is besides the fact that he was a faithful loyalist to the only political party in the country that I tend to associate with it. And as a firm believer in the politics of national unity and inclusion, the philosophy to which Dokpesi espoused, I have had to cause to have personal interactions with him in the past. So, in actuality, his death is like a personal loss to me.

High Chief Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi reportedly died on Monday May 29 at the age of 71, at the National Hospital Abuja where he was rushed to when he accidentally fell off the treadmill during an exercise in the gym that was part of the routine physiotherapy exercise recommended for him as part of his recuperating program having suffered a major stroke earlier. The circumstances surrounding his death are indeed regrettable.

By his death, Nigeria has lost a great man, a man of substance and a trail blazer. He was a leader, a good follower as well as a team player. He was coached and mentored by the best and he was also a good mentor and inspiration to many. His leadership qualities manifested early in his life and in school in the early 70s where he was the leader of African students in Poland where he had gone for higher studies. The young Raymond Dokpesi returned from Poland with a PhD decree in Marine Engineering. Upon his return to the country after his studies in Poland, he had a stint with the civil service in the Federal Ministry of Transport. He was the Personal Assistant to Alhaji Bamanga when he was the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and later was Managing Director African Ocean Line (1984-1988), the first indigenous shipping line in Nigeria.

He was an accomplished business mogul, a media entrepreneur, a politician and a leader per excellence. He was a business manager and the peoples’ manager who has employed and developed many. He was a trail blazer and a pioneer in many areas especially in the field of private broadcasting. Following the window of opportunity created by the General Babangida’s military administration deregulating the media and broadcasting business in Nigeria, Dokpesi was one of the first to procure broadcasting license to run a broadcast station in Nigeria. He was the Chairman of DAAR communication Limited, the owners of African Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power Station. He had achieved tremendous success in media business. It is not out of place to say that his companies AIT and Ray Power are among the strongest force in television and radio broadcasting in Nigeria.

High Chief Raymond Dokpesi was an achiever with many awards and societal recognitions to his credit. He had several traditional titles and in 2008, he was conferred national award of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) by the Yar’Adua administration in recognition of his contributions to national development. He was a thorough-bred professional with affiliations in different professional bodies. He was a fellow of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Nigerian Institute of Shipping, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Institute of Transport Administration and the Institute of Directors (IOD), Nigeria.

Furthermore, High Chief Dokpesi was a politician and firm believer in the philosophy of politics without bitterness. You may not be a political buff or an analyst to appreciate the contributions of Dokpesi in the Nigerian political sphere. Right from the time of the Second Republic Dokpesi had been actively involved in politics. He was the Chief of Staff to Alhaji Bamanda Tukur when the latter was the governor of Gongola State. In the botched Third Republic, he was the campaign manager to Alhaji Adamu Ciroma.

He was also a foundation member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he remained a loyal and a committed party man. He was a patriot, a statesman and a detribalized Nigerian who believed in the unity and peaceful co-existence of the country.

It may not be out of place to state here that High Chief Dokpesi had been a survivor all his life. He braved all odds to survive the Nigerian harsh business environment to nurture his broadcasting business. Some that started with him have gone into extinction. He survived hooliganism and extortion. He survived opposition and intimidation including false accusation…And in 2020, he was among those that contracted the deadly COVID-19 virus and survived it.

Our own High Chief Dokpesi was kind, good-natured and courageous. He was hardworking and principled. No doubt, his death will definitely leave a big vacuum that will take a long time to be filled. The Nigerian business community especially the mass media will miss him. His state, Edo especially his community, Agenebode will greatly miss him. In the political circles where he has been a towering figure since the advent current democratic dispensation will miss him too.

We pray that the merciful and the benevolent God to receive his soul, comfort his family and loved ones and grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician London, UK