Essien Attah

THE RISE AND FALL OF HIGH CHIEF RAYMOND
DOKPESI

It is indeed instructive to watch a high chief brought
low as the charges were read against High Chief
Raymond Dokpesi, in the court as he stands accused of
fraud and money laundering on a mammoth scale.
But how did Nigeria's number one media mogul end up
in the docks is a question that begs for an answer.
Dokpesi's road to Golgotha can be traced from how a
man with humble beginnings abandoned his true love to
sip of a poisoned chalice offered up by very shady
characters which corrupted the morals of an ambitious
man.
Right from 1980s when Dokpesi was a founding
member of the Ozolua Playhouse drama group, he
always saw the razmatazz of the entertainment world as
his key to greatness.
On this premise he founded Daar Communications on
31st August 1998. This opened up the first ever private
radio and TV stations in Nigeria. In a landscape
dominated by the nationalised Nigerian Television
Authority, Raypower and African Independent
Television (AIT) were seen as a breath of fresh air and
a game changer in a nation starved of independent
intellectual engagement.
Raypower broke new ground by offering the first ever
24 hour radio service in Nigeria. Fans fell in love with
programmes such as the midnight caller, Rick Dees and
the weekly top 40 and Straight from the heart, as radio
broadcasting attained unheard of heights under
Dokpesi's tutelage. The man could do no wrong.
Then on television , his relationship with Kenny
Ogunbe and Dayo Adeneye with their Prime time
entertainment and Kennis Music started the golden
renaissance of music entertainment in Nigeria.
Out of their stables came out legends like Eedris
Abdulkareem(Mr Lecturer), The Remedies (2face,Face
and blackface) and Kenny St. Brown amongst others.
Dokpesi and his kin were on an inenviable high.
But alas Dokpesi had a secret mentor who kept on
drawing him away from his first love of entertainment
towards the poisoned chalice of politics.
This mentor was Bamanga Tukur. The shadow of the
former PDP national chairman always loomed large
over the High Chief's life. The former NPA boss was the
hand that guided the High Chief into the halls of the all
powerful Northern elite.
Adamu Ciroma, Ibrahim Babangida and a host of other
Northern leaders began to wine and dine with Dokpesi
who they saw as a pliable Southerner they could cajole
into doing their bidding and with his powerful media
group at their mutual disposal, Dokpesi was seen as a
valuable ally and asset.
Hence the downward slide of the High Chief was
destined to happen as he began to pull away fro his
first love(entertainment and broadcasting) towards the
lusful bride called partisan politics.
Dokpesi always projected himself to be a victor who
always emerges on the winning side, but his
calculations of events started to take an ominous turn as
from the 1st October 2010, for on this date the
infamous Independence Day Bombings perpetuated by
MEND and Henry Okah were carried out.
Dokpesi was arrested for allegedly masterminding the
plot but was soon released due to the lack of compelling
evidence.
There was indeed massive suspicion that Dokpesi was
too close to the Northern Oligarchs who were plotting
to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan, hence he was in
tandem with their plot to expunge Jonathan from office
using violent means.
His arrest and eventual release brought out a new
Dokpesi, a political juggernaut who cared less about his
media empire.
His inability to pay his staff became a well known fact
in most circles as his love for partisan politics grew even
more insatiable.
He bagan to align himself dangerously with the PDP
and the candidature of Goodluck Jonathan expunging
his Northern friends.
Instead of adoption the more neutral stance of seasoned
broadcasters like Channelstv and it's owner Tony
Momoh, Dokpesi began to use his media empire to
launch a campaign of calumny against a candidate,
Muhammad Buhari. This was totally uncalled for and
unnecessary as the lies spread on his platforms only
made more Nigerians detest the candidate he sought to
help.
Dokpesi never realised he was putting all his eggs in one
basket as he gambled that the emergence of Goodluck
Jonathan as President after the April 2015 polls was a
done deal.
In exchange for his loyalty and smear campaign it is
alleged that the High Chief was paid a princely sum in
millions of dollars in exchange for turning his media
empire to the propaganda machinery of the likes of
Femi Fani Kayode who carried out their duties in a
manner that will make even Eric Gobbels, the Nazi
propaganda Chief, proud.
Never for once did Dokpesi's conscience prick him for
alas he felt he was collecting payment for services
rendered.
Indeed this will be his defence, for now it's revealed that
the money he took from the office of the National
Security Advisor was money meant to buy weapons for
the Nigerian military allegedly converted into a political
slush fund, Dokpesi has a case to answer.
He may have stepped on the snake's tail for there is a
whiff of vendetta in his travails as the current President
took great offence at the infamous documentary his
station aired during the campaign season that was
embellished with half truths and innuendos, for one
recollects the ban he placed immediately he assumed
office on Dokpesi's media arm covering his private
events.
Dokpesi realised that the handwriting was on the wall
hence tried to curry favour with populist statements that
include his "admission" that the PDP made a mistake in
fielding Jonathan in the last elections.
Dokpesi must have thought his public recant may spare
him of the upcoming tsunami generated by the arms
gate scandal. Alas this was not so as his arraignment in
court and incarceration is a despicable new low for the
High Chief.
Dokpesi is a survivor. One hopes he will survive his
current travails unscathed if innocent on account of the
sacred place he deserves in Nigeria's Media history but if
the gavel falls on his guilt, Dokpesi will make the long
walk on the road to perdition alone and in sorrow, as
one of the casualties of the new war on corruption.
That will be one News Headline the media mogul won't
like to read. That is the bottomline.
SOURCE: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153753484329420&id=577734419&refid=28&_ft_=qid.6226518625644544147%3Amf_story_key.7348605732494106074&__tn__=%2As

WHY IS IT ONLY IN NIGERIA WE PERSECUTE HEROES

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OZAOEKPE:
WHY IS IT ONLY IN NIGERIA WE PERSECUTE HEROES

I wonder too oooo

Raymond Dokpesi did not and have not fallen.

When did media business become illegal in Nigeria? He was paid to render services, which he did.

masterpower:
Raymond Dokpesi did not and have not fallen.

When did media business become illegal in Nigeria? He was paid to render services, which he did.

nobody disputes that, but Nsa funds was borrowed solely for the war and not for any diversion, and thing other than the use of that fund is illegal. Just go to the market and buy a blackberry secondhand phone which u may not know was stolen, even when u paid everything for it and have a receipt. When u start chatting with that pin and the real owner traces it to u, u would be taken for the thief or accomplaince regardless of u paying for it.
No matter ur defence, the law would be why didnt u buy a new phone than buying a phone u are aware have chances of been stolen. That is the lamest way i can explain ths to u to sink it in. Dokpesi is aware the funds in nsa was strictly for a cause and borrowed on that cause, why divert the reasons for that cause, if he had brain atleast monies can be channeled frm a source using other bodies even create media funding department and divert the money their noway, dont u knw the wise men frm other media outfit must have collected money via nsa proxy too, they were so comfortable that they didnt see anything backfiring.

People dey fall for Nigeria? You soon see him back and strong, that's Nigeria for you.

The evil that awaits the west, read here
www.nairaland.com/2791033/evil-await-west

masterpower:
Raymond Dokpesi did not and have not fallen.

When did media business become illegal in Nigeria? He was paid to render services, which he did.

It's very simple: Once you collect illegal money for yourself or your business, your business - including a media business - becomes illegal, especially in the eyes of the law. Get it?

P34c3
.....
...

Nobody holy pass. Shia Shia I hope the weapons retrieved from him will be put to good use.

OZAOEKPE:
WHY IS IT ONLY IN NIGERIA WE PERSECUTE HEROES

Hero? se won sepe fun e ni?

I need to know the meaning of this your Moniker OZAOEKPE cos I can see something like Curse(Epe) there

E don tey ds man defraud Nigerian... in 2009 or 2010 there about Daar company dd public sales of there share with many gullible Nigerian like me quickly jump for it. I remembered then we so much rush it cos of the juicy proposal made by the company.

Till today we av not hear or seen anything from the company yet my money and the rest of Nigerian who purchased some of the shares can't say anything or our fate about the investment.

Like other high profile cases, this too would be swept under the rug.
Dokpesi has not fallen in any way yet..

Fall? Where is Saraki today? Upon all people said. No powerful person falls in this country, but I just see Buhari as an unforgiving and vindictive person