Dokpesi
Media guru and owner of African Independent Television, AIT, a division of Daar Communications PLC, Raymond Dokpesi, has fired back at president-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari over his recent clampdown on the TV station.
Dokpesi described Buhari’s action to bar AIT from covering his activities as an attempt to bring back the era of Decree 4.
Speaking with Premium Times, Dokpesi said Buhari lacks the power to stop the AIT from covering his activities, as doing so would amount to breaking the law.
“I am sure that the President-elect needs to be reminded of Decree 4, and he should be clearly reminded that section 32 of the constitution makes it mandatory for the media to hold public officials accountable to the people,” he said.
He also cited Section 39 of the constitution which grants Nigerians the freedom of expression and to hold opinion, insisting that the controversial documentary were factual.
“The president-elect said that he does not want to be covered by AIT, but AIT has a responsibility to the Nigerian public to report the things that are happening,” he said.
“There are three national networks available for national coverage in Nigeria, the NTA, AIT and Silverbirds. You cannot stop a foremost private station from reporting in Nigeria, it brings us back to Decree 4 era.”
Dokpesi also acknowledged that Gen. Buhari may have taken his decision based on the documentaries ran by the station during the electioneering campaign.
“If they had produced their own documentary to say this is what we want and AIT did not publish it, then that is another matter,” he said.
“What is obviously very clear is the fact that AIT believes that the historical information about the President elect that were ran, were factually correct. Nothing was done to defame him or impinge on his character or integrity.”
“We take responsibility for the running of these items and I as an individual is satisfied because due diligence was followed in ensuring that the things that are contained were factually right”.
Meanwhile, The All Progressives Congress had since upturned Buhari’s decision, saying that the TV station was free to cover the president-elect’s activities.
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