The Senator representing Edo North and former Governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has explained how Chairman of DAAR Communications PLC. late Dr. Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi, gave too much access to a political party that did not reciprocate his generosity.

Oshiomole who noted this on Saturday in Abuja during second Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Diamond lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in collaboration with DAAR Communications PLC, said AIT provided a platform for both state and non-state actors to express their views.

He further said late Dokpesi belonged to a leading political party but he supported him wholeheartedly.

“For that, I remain eternally grateful,” he said.

He explained that on several occasions, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission threatened to withdraw his licence simply because the station gave a voice to “small people like me, who were seen as challenging the powerful.”

He said Dokpesi used his station to promote internal dialogue among Nigerians, never to run down his country.

“Today, I watch some stations portraying Nigeria negatively, as though nothing good happens here. They forget that they, too, are Nigerians,” he said.

He urged his son to sustain his father’s spirit but with more business realism.

“Maintain the standards, but let every political party pay for services rendered. That is the only way sustainability can be achieved”, he said.

Also, Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, commended the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) for instituting the annual lecture by keeping late Dokpesi’s name and contributions alive for generations yet unborn that “should know that this was the man who revolutionised communication in Nigeria.

“Personally, I worked closely with him. During my political challenges in 2019, AIT aired all my campaign activities free of charge, as it did for many others. My only regret is that he is not alive today to witness how many of the things we discussed have materialised.

“In one of our conversations, he said to me, “Engineer, you know I’m quite old. I may not become a minister, but people like you can.”

Today, his prophecy has come true. I stand here as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Also, the President and Chairman of Council, NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku, said they celebrate not only the power of Artificial Intelligence but also human intelligence exemplified in men like Dr. Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi.

He said, “while scholars still debate who truly founded AI, there is no such controversy about who pioneered independent broadcasting in Nigeria it was Dokpesi.

“He used communication as a tool for liberation, education, entertainment, and transformation. Through AIT and RayPower FM, he told the African story by Africans — unapologetically and authentically.

“True legacy lies not in marble monuments but in continuing the work one began — shaping minds, building institutions, and adding value to humanity. Dokpesi’s life aligns with the spirit of our profession — Public Relations as service to society.

“He understood that communication is about meaning and connection — linking people to truth, leaders to citizens, and nations to the world. Long before he was named a Fellow of the NIPR, he lived as one a believer in truth, ethics, and the public good.”

He said in the same spirit, the NIPR has reached an advanced stage in establishing the University of Public Relations and Leadership in Nasarawa state, the first of its kind in the world.

He said the university will train a new generation of ethical communicators and transformational leaders, bridging the gap between practice and policy.

“It will stand, like AIT, as a testament to Nigerian innovation and excellence.

“Connecting the dots, Dokpesi’s legacy, the forthcoming global forum, and this pioneering university one sees a single unbroken thread: communication as a tool of nation-building.

“Today’s memorial lecture is not just remembrance; it is reaffirmation that communication builds peace, public relations defines leadership, and truthful storytelling sustains national reputation,” he said.