Raymond Dokpesi: Portrait of A Pacesetter at 70

Glitz TRIBUTE TO DOKPESI

From establishing the first indigenous shipping line in Nigeria to instituting a 24-hour broadcast service in Nigerian radio and television, Chief Raymond Dokpesi who turns 70 on October 25 has etched his name in history as a habitual pacesetter in his varied career life. Yinka Olatunbosun writes

Come October 25, 2021, Chief Raymond Dokpesi clocks 70. As a successful businessman with multiple fingers dipped in shipping and mass media, celebrations are in top gear to launch him to ‘the seventh floor.’
This phenomenal citizen has been a habitual pacesetter in his varied career life. As one of the biggest hegemons in the media industry, Dokpesi is expected to use the occasion of his birthday to launch his autobiography titled: ‘The Handkerchief.’ The book trails his journey through life, the twists and turns that culminated in his historic rise on the rungs of national affairs.

Other programmes lined up to celebrate the latest septuagenarian are: a lecture in his honour, drama presentation, thanksgiving mass and a grand reception where guests and family members would be treated to some sumptuous foods and exotic drinks.

At 70, Dokpesi certainly has every reason to be grateful to God for not only seeing this day, but for overcoming the challenges life has thrown at him. Recently, he contracted COVID-19 and survived it alongside his family members who were also infected, despite the fact that the disease claimed the lives of many important personalities.

Most importantly, the door is closed on his travails in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for which he was discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on April 1, 2021.
When he was arraigned by the anti-graft agency in 2016 on charges relating to money laundering and breach of Procurement Act in relation to the disbursement of the N2.1billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), most of his enemies had thought that his end had finally come.
As the case was taking an unfavourable dimension, he stood strong and at end, he was discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal, which in a unanimous judgment held among others, that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu, who delivered the lead judgment, held that the ingredients of the offences alleged in the seven-count charge were not established by the prosecution as required by law. She further held that there was nothing in the evidence of the 14 witnesses called by the prosecution to persuade the court to compel the appellant to enter defence in the charges where ingredients of the offence were not provided.
Following his acquittal, a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice John Tsoho a few days ago ordered the EFCC to remove his name from its watch list.

In his ruling, Justice Tsoho was of the view that there was no justification for the EFCC to retain his name on its watch list since no criminal charges or allegations were pending against him.
The judge, who is also the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, noted that retaining politician’s name on EFCC’s watch list amounted to disobeying an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which in April this year quashed the alleged N2.1billion procurement fraud charge against him.

Before all these aforementioned legal battles, Dokpesi was just a young native of Agenebode, Edo State with big dreams. Born on October 25, 1951 to the family of Chief Williams Ayaoghena Dokpesi and Mrs. Alice Aishetu Dokpesi of Agenebode in Edo State. His younger years in Ibadan, the native of Agenebode had a varied upbringing that accounts for his cosmopolitan nature. Upon completing his primary school education at Ebenezer African Church School, he proceeded to Loyola College, Ibadan and, much later Immaculate Conception College (ICC) Benin City. While in Benin, he started his undergraduate studies at the University of Benin before travelling abroad for further studies.

Picture him by the sea: the ripples matched by the allure of a beautiful sunset that characterised a typical day at sea for the young marine engineer far away from his Nigerian roots in Poland. As the strong wind swept past him, images of his home countries flooded his mind. The year was 1972. Though homesick, young Raymond Dokpesi calmly embraced Poland as his new home.

Honourably, he received his Bsc, Masters and doctorate degrees from Wyzsza Szokta Morska Gdynia and University of Gdansk Sopot, Poland respectively. The memories are still vivid in his mind: the rapturous applause, quick-fire camera flashes and hugs. On his wall laid the plaque being the best graduating student in fifty years in Poland in Marine Transport Engineering- finishing off with a first class.

Aquatic life has always fascinated him. Before his adventures in Poland, he had a stint at the Nigerian Ports Authority as Marine Office Cadet in 1969 which invariably prepared him for the courageous career at sea. He would later lecture at the University of Gdansk, Poland before proceeding to Nigeria on the invitation of the then, Nigeria Head of State who was on State visit to Poland. While in Poland, he had demonstrated strong leadership skills, holding positions such as President, Nigerian Students Union Gdansk Poland (1972 – 1974), President, African Students Union, Poland (1973), President, International Students Association, Poland (1974), President, Nigerian Students, Eastern Europe (1974).

Somewhere in between those busy schedules, he fell in love with a beautiful woman that later became his wife. Upon his return to Nigeria, he worked with different government parastatals including the Federal Ministry of Transport and Aviation as the Head of Water Transport Division on Secondment from Nigerian Ports Plc (NTCC) between 1978-1983.

He was the Chief of Staff of the Gongola State Government from October to December 1983 and subsequently the Managing Director of African Ocean Line Limited from 1984-1988. He is Chairman, of the first indigenous shipping line African Ocean Line now Baldok Shipping Lines Limited from Feb 1989-and surprisingly too- till date.

As the Executive Chairman of DAAR Communications, he gained more popularity for earning the first license for private radio broadcast in Nigeria with Raypower 100.5FM. That era became a watershed in Nigerian history of broadcasting as the first licensed private radio station became a catalyst for promoting- amongst other things- Nigerian music especially the emerging genres that bred today’s globe-trotting Afrobeats exports. In the same vein, Africa Independent Television (AIT), became a trailblazer in curating indigenous home grown content. All the on-air personalities had a dress code: strictly African. Remarkably, AIT glamourised African culture through its programming and in-house policies.

Chief Dokpesi’s knowledge of marine engineering which developed from the understanding of sound waves brought revolution to the broadcast sector. His initiatives were anchored on the introduction of 24-hour transmission on both radio and television right from inception as well as introduction of Cyber and Chroma technology for television operations and digitalized audio and video signals on both radio and television. Through his efforts Africa Independent Television (AIT) became the first African broadcast station to transmit into the United States of America (USA). Other subsidiaries of DAAR Communications include a digital multi-channel direct-to-home subscription TV, DAARSAT and Faaji FM which broadcasts in Yoruba and Pidgin-English.

A writer of insightful publications, Dokpesi boasts of numerous professional qualifications and a portfolio of national assignments. He is also a recipient of several national and international awards including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Africa Leadership Award and Gold Medal for Excellence in Business Practice, awarded by the Foundation for Excellence in Business Practice, an organ of the United Nations based in Geneva, Switzerland. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Institute of Directors (IoD) 2007 Entrepreneurial Award.

He holds the following chieftaincy titles from different parts of Nigeria namely: Ogieorumoa of Weppa-Wanno – 1986, Araba of Osooroland 1987, Osese of South Uneme – 1990, Gbobaniyi of Ilawe-Ekiti – 1994, Oganigwe Umu Orji Ako Nibo – 1999, Sardaunna of Kpaduma, Abuja 2002 and Ezomo of Weppa Wanno Land, 2003.
Asides being decorated with many traditional titles, Dokpesi has a colourful life decorated with women. In a recent interview with journalists, he admitted that polygamy is one of his greatest regrets.
“I was married to a Polish woman. I wanted to remain with the Polish woman, I still desired it in my old age but she left Nigeria for reasons that she was the only child of her parents and so she had to stay with her parents and I had to stay here and there is no leave in marriage. And so, I shuttled down to Poland over 16 times requesting her to come back to Nigeria and stay but as the only child, she had to stay with them,’’ he said.

In recognition of his several patriotic roles and contribution to the country in Academic Publications, Broadcasting, Sports, the growth of the Nigerian Entertainment – Music and Nollywood and Entrepreneurship, he was conferred with a National Honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2008.
A member of Island, Ikoyi and Apapa Club, he has been described as an avid reader, researcher, philanthropist and humanitarian. Without necessarily blowing his own trumpet, he had been credited for building of schools for communities and offering of scholarships to students into tertiary institutions. Needless to add, he loves sports, traveling and music.