COVID-19: Dokpesi Asks AIT To Withdraw Comments Of Him, Son Criticising Treatment

Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications Plc, has asked Africa Independent Television (AIT), one of the company’s broadcast stations, to immediately halt airing the comments of him and his son, Raymond Dokpesi junior, criticising the treatment protocol of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.
Dokpesi gave the directive in an internal memo dated 17 May, and addressed to the current Chairman of DAAR Communications, Dokpesi junior, all editorial staff and news anchors.
Following his discharge from the Gwagwalada Isolation Centre, Dokpesi had in an interview with the station questioned the treatment protocol of COVID-19, insisting that he was given malaria drugs throughout his time in the isolation centre and did not know the difference between malaria and the virus.
Also, Dokpesi junior – who was the first family member to have been diagnosed with COVID-19 – lamented that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) did not provide him with his result when he was declared to have contracted the virus.
But in the memo on Sunday, the media entrepreneur asked the television station to stop airing his video interview as well as his son’s comments permanently.
According to him, he gave the directive after senior citizens intervened and urged him to address all issues he raised with the Federal Government privately rather than discrediting the work of the health authorities, which would create a misapprehension for the public in the country’s fight against COVID-19.
The memo read: “I write to request you to discontinue referencing the comments and views expressed by both the founder, Engr. Raymond A.A Dokpesi, and the Chairman, Chief Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, in all your news bulletins and in fact bring them down from your official websites for now.
“Very senior citizens and elders have argued and I agree with them that I should have addressed a private message to the PTF and the Presidency rather than cast aspersions on their methods thereby creating doubts in the minds of the public.
“I also agree to an immediate truce.
“We must never be construed to be using the ownership of the platform to promoting our personal agenda or settling some scores with perceived opponents.”
See the Dokpesi memo addressed to AIT staff below: