The Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications, owner of AIT/Raypower, High Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi, has vowed to go to court over the suspension of the company’s broadcast licence announced on Thursday by the National Broadcasting Commission:
The NBC just suspended the license of Daar Communications. Do you believe this to have been politically motivated?
I addressed a press conference on Thursday. I outlined my positions. I can forward you the soft copy of that press conference. I stated the reasons and the things that were there.
I am more Nigerian than possibly Buhari. He cannot claim greater patriotism. I am more Nigerian by the virtue of the fact that I have invested in this country
The NBC accused AIT of airing unfiltered and unsubstantiated social media reports. Is this a justification for their actions?
I will again refer you to my detailed press conference. I treated all those matters. The NBC wrote three letters to Daar Communications.
One has to do with the editorial on Bulkachuwa (President of the Courts of Appeal). The other one has to do with the Nigerian judiciary on trial and the Kenyan example.
And then the third one is on the social media on Kakaaki. All these three letters, I stated very clearly what the situation is.
This country belongs to all of us. I am more Nigerian than possibly Buhari. He cannot claim greater patriotism. I am more Nigerian by the virtue of the fact that I have invested in this country.
I have created opportunities for people in this country. I am a bona fide, mother and father Nigerian. We are talking of people that are possibly….my parents didn’t migrate.
My parents were aborigines and their father’s fathers were aborigines, not people that migrated from somewhere. And the fact that I am a job creator in this country, I have invested my life, makes me a greater Nigerian than those that are just parasitical.
I just want you to be guided by my press conference.
Are you likely to seek redress in court?
In every civilized society, if things of this nature happen, you go to the courts to able to at least seek your rights.
You are a journalist. By this profession, by the job you are doing, you must know very clearly that once the media rights are touched, it is a constitutional issue.
The constitution has been violated. I can only seek redress in court. So, it begs the issue to say am I going to go to court or not. I will definitely go to court. There are no two ways about it. I will go to court.
