Dr. Christopher Ebuetse Urged National Assembly, Others To Declare October 25th Day Of Broadcasting In Honour Of Dokpesi

Dr. Christopher Ebuetse, the 

Director General, Raymond Dokpesi Center for Media Development has said that the Raymond Dokpesi Center for Media Development will hold its 16th annual Raymond Dokpesi Endurance on October 25, 2023.

This was contained in a statement issued signed and made available to the Press yesterday.

According to the statement, "the Endurance Trek is an annual event; it is one of the activities of the Center, usually done to herald the yearly Raymond Dokpesi annual lectures.

In the past 16 years, it has taken place in various areas of Lagos State, such as participants trekking from police college to FRCN training school, from GRA Ikeja to Maryland, from Kollington bus stop in Alagbado to Daar Communications Plc’s compound in Alagbado, Lagos, and in Benin City, from Dawson Road to the museum center on Ring Road.

"The Raymond Dokpesi Center for Media Development was founded in 2007 to promote the ideals of the founder of Daar Communications Plc. He was a man who believed in Nigeria. He tirelessly worked for the uplifting, development, and growth of the nation until his last breath.

The statement further added that, "Since his unfortunate passing away, the Center, in its resolve, has been holding on to his legacies and will continue in this stead to promote his ideals. He had an immeasurable impact on the broadcasting industry in Nigeria, Africa, and across international boundaries. He started the first private broadcasting station in Nigeria, RayPower 100.5 FM. He was the first to start 24-hour broadcasting, the first in satellite broadcasting, the first to broadcast across international boundaries, the first to bring in state-of-the-art equipment, gave a boost to the entertainment industry, and was the first to promote our music and Nollywood industries in Nigeria and across international boundaries. The series of tributes from the entertainment industry and sporting world is also an insight into his tremendous impact in the broadcasting industry.

Dokpesi promoted Nigeria and Africa across international boundaries and the Caribbean.

"Dokpesi gave a boost to media practice and redefined the activities of media practitioners through his recognition of their impacts on nation-building.

According to the late Dr. Fredrick Fasheun, he described the late Dokpesi as a man with the Midas touch. He noted that anything he touched turned to gold. He was excellent in the field of broadcasting.

The late Professor C. S. Momoh described Dokpesi as a philosopher of our time; he compared him to the German philosopher Hegel, one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

"With Daar Communications Plc, in Alagbado, and RayPower 1005 FM, the first private broadcasting station, he created an alternative voice for Nigerians.

"The Raymond Dokpesi Endurance Trek will be used to request from the Federal Government of Nigeria a kind request to immortalize him.

The theme of this year’s trek is “Democracy, the Media’s Engine Room.” Democracy in any part of the world gives much for the media to broadcast or write about. One could imagine how the media functioned when the military juntas held sway in the country. What was really there to talk about? It was a one-way thing: media practitioners could hardly be free to practice in the military era. The media was gagged to always speak in favor of the military; if anyone broadcasts anything contrary, the person is hunted.

"Beyond the theme, in the past seven years, we have used the medium to request from the federal government of Nigeria that the 25th day of October be declared a day of private broadcasting in Nigeria. There is no doubt that granting this request will be very well received by the broadcasting practitioners and the broadcasting organization of Nigeria, BON.

"Dr. Raymond Dokpesi upped the game in broadcasting; he created an alternative voice during the dark days of the military, and today, the practitioners could just be proud to be in the profession. He was a watershed in broadcasting; his name remains indelible in the sands of time.

"Against this background, we appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to declare the 25th of October of every year as broadcasting day in Nigeria.

"We call on the Senate President, distinguished Senator God’s Will Akpobio, the senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the leader of the House of Representatives and its members, members of the executive arms of government, and the judiciary to lend their voices for the immortalization of High Chief Dr. Raymond Aleogho Anthony Dokpesi. The history of our great country will be kind to everyone who lends their voice to this request for it to come to pass.

"The trek will begin from Kola Motor Park at 10 a.m. and terminate at AIT’s compound.

"The Raymond Dokpesi Centre for Media Development wishes to thank Nigerians, those in the diaspora, Africans, blacks in the Caribbean, and the international communities for their kind support and interest in seeing that Dokpesi is immortalized".