Investigations by Saharareporters reveal that the chairman of DAAR Group, Mr. Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi, decided to remove a popular presenter of current affairs TV program, “Focus Nigeria,” off the air following pressures from the Umaru Yar’adua regime. Sources within the government as well as a confidant of the AIT owner told our correspondents that Mr. Dokpesi sacrificed the integrity of the program, presented by Gbenga Aruleba, to stave off the government’s threat to press corruption charges against him and to ruin his businesses.

Early this week, Dokpesi ordered Aruleba replaced with another presenter after the AIT owner told members of the NUJ that Aruleba’s life was in danger from overzealous security agents in Abuja.

Saharareporters gathered that Dokpesi’s action came after he was summoned by the National Security Adviser (NSA) “who expressed Yar’adua’s displeasure with the program” which is aired as a morning show Monday to Friday. The NSA warned Dokpesi that Aruleba’s manner of hosting the program, which often featured critical segments on Yar’adua’s usurper-government, “threatens the security of the nation.” According to a source familiar with the interaction, the NSA “ordered Dokpesi to do something to curtail the excesses of Mr. Aruleba.”

One source also said an official in the NSA’s office also called Dokpesi aside and displayed the dossier the agency compiled on his corrupt dealings with Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers state. The agency’s dossier suggested that Dokpesi received more than N500 million of Rivers State funds while acting as campaign manager for Odili’s ill-fated presidential run in 2007.

The NSA’s encounter was the second time Dokpesi has been confronted over the scam that enabled him to pocket hundreds of millions of Rivers State funds. Earlier this year, Saharareporters had exclusively reported that the EFCC briefly arrested and interrogated Dokpesi over the scam.

Another source said Dokpesi left the NSA’s office straight to his Abuja offices to order that Aruleba be dropped as the presenter of “Focus Nigeria.” The AIT owner reportedly told the rusticated presenter to prepare to proceed on a six-months course in London, UK. But a source said the course was a ruse. Our checks with sources in London revealed that the purported course had started on October 12 2009. Meanwhile, Aruleba has been relegated to the drudgery of administrative duties, managing the radio department of DAAR Communications. He has been effectively barred from presenting any programs on radio or television.

A source within the Yar’adua regime told us that Dokpesi has myriad problems, which makes him vulnerable to blackmail, some bordering on personality clashes with government officials, his reckless management style, and his knack for acts of “informal corruption.” A government insider said Dokpesi “is reputed to hustle around with politically exposed persons and he collects funds he cannot account for.”

One part of his latest brush with officials of the regime had to do with the N8.2 National Television Authority (NTA) billion equipment scam earlier exposed by Saharareporters. A source told us that Dokpesi had been reluctant to help Information Minister Dora Akunyili and top NTA officials to cover up the fact that the multi-billion-naira equipment meant to boost televised coverage of the ongoing Under-17 World Cup never arrived in the country. Dokpesi reportedly resisted pleas to allow the NTA to use AIT’s equipment for the U-17 World cup coverage “in order to cover up the non-delivery of the questionable equipment whose contract was rushed through by Mrs. Akunyili.”

In an embarrassing blow to Akunyili’s hollow effort to “rebrand” Nigeria’s image, FIFA officials have described the hosting and coverage of this year’s tournament as the worst in the history of the tournament.

One source close to Dokpesi said the NSA’s recent summons to the AIT’s owner was “partly aimed at twisting Chief Dokpesi’s hands to force him to agree to share equipment with NTA.”

Dokpesi, who calls himself a “high chief,” is also embroiled in trouble with his staff. “He owes us more than 10 months’ salary which he has failed to pay despite several agreements with officials of the local chapter of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ),” said one of the staffers. One source told Saharareporters that Dokpesi’s notoriety as a delinquent employer and his reputation for dilly dallying with corrupt former or serving governors “help his adversaries at the Presidency whenever they want to deal with him.” He added, “That’s exactly what happened when the government wanted Aruleba, a prolific presenter, out of the way.”

Aruleba is no stranger to official harassment. On June 25, 2006 he was arrested along with Rotimi Durojaiye, the senior aviation correspondent of Daily Independent. The two reporters were arrested and detained by the State Security Services (SSS) and charged with sedition by President Olusegun Obasanjo over a story they covered regarding the age of a newly purchased presidential jet. The case was later thrown out after their lawyer, Femi Falana, successfully argued in court that sedition was unknown to the Nigerian constitution.



http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4104:-ait-owner-raymond-dokpesi-yanks-popular-presenter-of-qfocus-nigeriaq-off-air-to-appease-the-yaradua-regime&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

This story makes me laugh because i thought those in corridors of power to listen to local media. But seriously it is a situation report and a pointer that doomsday is near. Gbenga you should have nothing to worry since your competence and integrity is not in doubt, there are many reputable media companies across the globe where your antecedents and records can earn you better job. Then you join the other activists from outside like in the Abacha days. We're drifting again!

The above is a quote, from what a viewer said on reading the story.

Honestly, I thought Nigerian Leaders claimed they dont listen to local media? Aha!, now I know they are not telling the truth. More on these local media,please.

selingel:

This story makes me laugh because i thought those in corridors of power to listen to local media. But seriously it is a situation report and a pointer that doomsday is near. Gbenga you should have nothing to worry since your competence and integrity is not in doubt, there are many reputable media companies across the globe where your antecedents and records can earn you better job. Then you join the other activists from outside like in the Abacha days. We're drifting again!

The above is a quote, from what a viewer said on reading the story.

Honestly, I thought Nigerian Leaders claimed they dont listen to local media? Aha!, now I know they are not telling the truth. More on these local media,please.

I knew that someday, this guy will be removed, because that programme was really exposing the big fat gays in Nigeria.

no surprise here

at last.

Yaradua is Performing.

more of that

He didn't fit in at AIT so am not surprised.