By DADA AYOKHAI
The Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) yesterday, in Benin, embarked on an endurance trek to honour late media mogul, High Chief (Dr.) Alegho Raymond Dokpesi
A similar trek took place in other city centers across the country involving stakeholders in the media industry as well as some members of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and a select number of Mass Communication students.
The trekkers trooped out to honour the late media mogul who pioneered private radio and television broadcasting in the country
Dokpesis DAAR. Communications Ltd., owners of the AIT® and Raypower® franchise, was the first to start 24-hour broadcasting, a trend that still sustains to date.
The late media mogul hailed from Agenebode, Etsako Central in Edo State. He would have celebrated his birthday on October 25. He was reported to have died in the early hours of May 29, a few hours before the inauguration of the President Tinubu’s administration.
Organizers of the event eulogized the late media mogul saying whether dead or alive, he will never be forgotten as a Trojan, especially in the democratisation of the broadcast sector where he left an indelible footprint
The Edo State NUJ chairman, Comrade Festus Alehe led the other journalists on the endurance trek which took off from the Union’s secretariat in GRA Benin to the city center in a colourful procession that drew applause from an enthusiastic public
Comrade Alehe urged the federal government to set aside the 25th of October every year in honour of the late media mogul, insisting “We urge the federal government to designate October 25 as Nigeria Broadcasting Day in remembrance of the contributions made by the late Dokpesi to the advancement of the broadcast sector in Nigeria and beyond”.
The late Dokpesi was buried in his hometown, Agenebode, Etsako East local government area at a well-attended funeral ceremony organized by his family
